Los Angeles Kings Trade Rumors: Gavrikov, Korpisalo exchanged for Jonathan Quick

It's being reported that the Los Angeles Kings have traded for Vladislav Gavrikov and Joonas Korpisalo in exchange for Jonathan Quick. The information was first shared on Twitter by Elliotte Friedman.

Elliotte Friedman tweeted: With LA/CLB working on a Korpisalo/Gavrikov deal, word is one of the pieces in return will be Jonathan Quick. Loved watching him during his fantastic run with the Kings, backbone of their two Stanley Cup championships. A first-round pick will also be involved.

The host of the Daily Faceoff show Frank Seravalli also shared a similar report. He said it was a tough call to make for the Kings.

"To say Jonathan Quick is unhappy with the trade, I'm told, is 'an understatement.' "The entire LA Kings team was a bit down after the game, a win, and you could understandably see it in Anze Kopitar's face after a 4-goal night. Tough deal, Kings trading a franchise legend," Seravalli said.

Jonathan Quick's career so far

The 37-year-old started his career with the Los Angeles Kings in the 2007-08 season and has played over 743 games, starting 731 of them. He has averaged over 58 minutes on the ice in this period while conceding around 2.5 goals per game at a save percentage of 0.911. He was part of two Stanley Cup-winning squads.

However, Quick's performances this season had dipped drastically. He has played 31 games this season, averaging over 54 minutes at a save percentage of less than 0.900. He has also conceded 3.5 goals per game on average. His winning rate has also dropped, with only 11 in 27 starts.

What's next for the Los Angeles Kings?

The Los Angeles Kings are placed second in the Eastern Conference Pacific Division with 76 points. The Kings have had a decent season offensively, scoring over 200 goals, with Adrian Kempe and Anze Kopitar contributing 20 goals each. But their defense has let the team down, conceding 3.4 on average.

The Kings have tried to strengthen their defense with the trade for defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov and goaltender Joonas Korpisalo from the Columbus Blue Jackets. It will be interesting to see how this move materializes for them as the Los Angeles Kings face the Montreal Canadiens on Thursday, March 2.