The 2005 NHL Draft is one that will be remembered mostly for Sid the Kid, who has done everything we knew he was capable of. Most people know about No. 87 and his accomplishments. Seventy-one spots later in that same draft came someone who is really starting to make a name for himself in a market where nothing freezes naturally for the most part. People are more likely to die from over-tanning than from frost bite.
That franchise is the Los Angeles Kings. Most residents in Los Angeles didn’t realize there was a hockey team prior to August 9th, 1988 (Gretzky traded to LA). Not only was there a team, they had a decent but not so storied history with some bright spots (Triple Crown Line, Miracle on Manchester, etc.) .
In the history of the Kings, the goalie position has been filled by numerous players. The only real significant man to don the Crown on his chest is the same one whose sweater is retired and hanging in the rafters of Staples Center, No. 30, Rogie Vachon. There have been some other good goaltenders— Kelly Hrudey, Felix Potvin, Jamie Storr, etc— but the Kings found greatness when they drafted Mr. Quick.
To say they knew what they had when they drafted Quick would be a bit of a reach. There were a total of four goaltenders taken ahead of him in that year’s draft. I believe it’s safe to say if the draft was held today, none of the others would have been drafted ahead of him. Not even Carey Price in Montreal.
I think it’s fair to say Quick is the best goalie playing in the western half of North America at this point in time. He just finished the year leading the NHL in shutouts with 10, and recorded a .929 save percentage on a team that was close to dead last in scoring for most of the year. That means he won a lot of games on his own.
Prior to Quick, the Kings historically won in spite of poor goaltending. Based on num...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Kings
