Goalies on the move: Kuemper to Capitals, Campbell to Oilers

ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) — The goalie shuffle around the NHL kept right on rolling when free agency opened Wednesday, with the Washington Capitals signing a Stanley Cup champion to stabilize the position and the Edmonton Oilers trying to do the same.

The Capitals signed Darcy Kuemper to a $26.25 million, five-year contract less than three weeks after he backstopped Colorado to its first title since 2001. The 32-year-old Kuemper will carry the load for a perennial playoff team that also signed Charlie Lindgren as a backup.

Since the Cup Final ended in late June, 19 goaltenders who played in the NHL last season have changed teams.

Kuemper knew he was leaving the Avalanche when they traded for and signed Alexandar Georgiev to replace him.

“You never know where you’re going to end up," Kuemper said. "A lot of unknown. You just can’t think about it too much because you’ll drive yourself crazy. But everything happens for a reason and it worked out and ended up with a great organization, a great team and super excited for it.”

Edmonton signed former Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Jack Campbell to a $25 million, five-year deal. Campbell has yet to win a playoff series but put up impressive numbers during the first round last year and will now be counted on to try to help Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl win a championship after Mike Smith was inconsistent in goal for the Oilers this postseason.

“Obviously it’s such an important position (when you’re trying) to win,” Edmonton general manager Ken Holland said. “Certainly probably as much movement this year as there was in a long, long time.”

Now four years removed from hoisting the Cup, the Capitals made moves to get into the goalie market, totally remaking their situation in net just as general manager Brian MacLellan promised. They traded Vitek Vanecek to New Jersey, let Ilya Samsonov leave rather than qualify him as a restricted free agent and added Lindgren on a three-year deal worth $3.3 million.

Samsonov, once considered a top prospect, signed a budget contract with the Maple Leafs: $1.8 million for next season, or roughly half of what the Capitals expected the 25-year-old Russian to get in arbitration.

Toronto is pairing Samsonov with Matt Murray, acquired from Ottawa just days earlier. The Senators added Cam Talbot in a trade with Minnesota after the Wild re-signed Marc-Andre Fleury.

Murray will count slightly less against the cap in Toronto than Campbell in Edmonton. Leafs GM Kyle Dubas said the difference was the two years left on Murray's contract compared with Campbell wanting five.

Edmonton was more than happy to oblige on that front, especially with Smith not expected to play next season because of injury.

“(Campbell) looks to me from afar like a guy (who’s) getting better all the time,” Holland said. “He’s competitive. He’s comfortable. And I think he’s 30 years of age, and from a goaltender standpoint that’s a good age. I think with Stu Skinner we’ll have a good tandem.”

St. Louis now has 2019 Cup winner Jordan Binnington and Thomas Greiss as its tandem. Greiss signed a $1.25 million contract for next season to replace Husso, whom the Blues traded to Detroit last week.

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Follow AP Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno on Twitter at https://twitter.com/SWhyno

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