The Washington Capitals saw Charlie Lindgren surprise everyone, taking the starting role from Darcy Kuemper and running with it. And while it bodes well for Lindgren, it leaves questions regarding Kuemper’s future.
General manager Brian MacLellan took the time to speak on Kuemper, who underwhelmed with a.890 save percentage, 3.31 GAA and one shutout through just 33 games.
“The season kind of got away from Kuemps a little bit. I think he’s a good goalie,” MacLellan said. “I think if you look, he’s been a consistent good goalie for a long, long time. The season, partly because we struggled in certain areas at certain times, and it got away from him a little bit. Performance probably wasn’t at his standard that he would like to be at.”
Kuemper said that he played some depth situations wrong over the course of the year and said that he found the year challenging, and that he was working to get back to the basics that made him so consistent over the course of his career.
MacLellan also noted that Lindgren’s standout play made it more difficult for the coaching staff to go back to Kuemper, leading to even less playing time.
“I think the coaches or the team, we were under pressure to win every night, so they went with Chuckie. The longer that time goes on, I think it’s harder for Kuemps to get back in the rotation and compete for a spot back,” MacLellan said. “The season got away from him.”
As for what’s next for Kuemper, MacLellan wouldn’t comment much on the future, but did note that the team will not be looking to buy out his contract in the offseason.
Reports and speculation continue to grow that the Capitals will look to move on from Kuemper, who signed a five-year, $26.25 million contract in 2022 to be the No. 1 guy in D.C. And as Kuemper tunes out the noise, MacLellan remains confident that he can rebound.
“I would anticipate that, given his track record of consistency, that he would come back and have a good year next year,” MacLellan said.
Meanwhile, the Capitals’ GM also noted that a Lindgren extension is not out of the realm of possibility. The 30-year-old appeared in 50 games for the Capitals and had the biggest workload in the league down the stretch, boasting a .911 save percentage and 2.67 GAA.
“We’ll go into the year, we’ll talk to him,” MacLellan said. “Obviously, we’re happy with his performance. He’s a big part of how we played down the stretch and into the playoffs. We have time to work that out.”
