When the Washington Capitals traded goalie Darcy Kuemper to the Los Angeles Kings for forward Pierre-Luc Dubois, there was a hole left on the roster of who to pair with Charlie Lindgren. During Day Two of the 2024 NHL Entry Draft, former general manager Brian MacLellan filled that vacancy by acquiring Logan Thompson from the Vegas Golden Knights.
The full deal was Thompson going to the Capitals for two third-round draft picks (one in the 2024 Draft and the other in 2025). Thompson, who was originally signed as an undrafted free agent by Vegas back in July of 2020, played in parts of four seasons for the franchise. He became a quality netminder during his time with the Golden Knights. His skills provide depth at the position, and Thompson is qualified to fight for the starting job along with Lindgren. Capitals head coach Spencer Carbery could even decide to use Lindgren and Thompson as a 1A/1B duo in the crease.
Logan Thompson’s Journey Before Vegas
Before signing with the Golden Knights, Logan Thompson grew his game with the Brandon Wheat Kings in the Western Hockey League (WHL). He first suited up for them for four games during the 2014-15 WHL season. He posted a record of 3-1-0. Thompson also registered an .846 save percentage (SV%) and a 4.74 goals-against average (GAA). The rest of the time he was with the Wheat Kings, he produced the following stats:
- 2015-16: 17-1-0, .898 SV%, and 2.63 GAA, in 23 games played
- 2016-17: 14-17-2, .908 SV%, 3.24 GAA, and one shutout in 40 games played
- 2017-18: 29-22-2, .908 SV%, 3.41 GAA, and three shutouts in 55 games played
Following his time in the WHL, Thompson spent a couple seasons in the ECHL (ECHL). One of those was with the Adirondack Thunder and the other with the South Carolina Stingrays. He finally joined the Golden Knights prior to the 2020-21 NHL season.
Logan Thompson Making a Name as a Golden Knight
Thompson really started to get some NHL games under his belt during the 2021-22 campaign with the Golden Knights. He played in 19 games and posted a 10-5-3 record, with a .914 SV% and a 2.68 GAA. He was the third goalie on the team in games played for that campaign, as he shared the crease with Robin Lehner and Laurent Brossoit that season.
Prior to the 2022-23 season, Lehner had hip surgery done and he missed the entire year as a result. Thompson gained significant playing time, but also shared what was a crowded crease as Vegas had a total of five goalies suit up for the squad. There was Thompson, Brossoit, Adin Hill, Jonathan Quick, and Jiri Patera. Thompson played the most in the regular season for the Golden Knights. He played in 37 games and had a record of 21-13-3, with a .915 SV% and a 2.65 GAA.
Last season for Vegas, Thompson played in 46 games and produced a record of 25-14-5. He had a .908 SV% and a 2.70 GAA, and played the most games for the club.
Internal Competition Between Thompson and Lindgren
It will be interesting how Carbery plays out the Capitals’ goalie situation with Charlie Lindgren and Logan Thompson. Competition at training camp always brings out the best in players on the ice. There will be other competition that will be battled out. For example, on the blue line, younger defensemen like Vincent Iorio are going to try to find a way to end up on the remaining Capitals roster before the regular season begins. How Carbery handles the goaltending situation will be crucial for the team heading into 2024-25. Both Lindgren and Thompson can play well in the league, and time will tell if one stands out more than the other as the regular season gets closer.
Looking back on the trade, it was a smart decision by MacLellan to bring Thompson aboard. Lindgren had impressive moments last season, but having Thompson provides stability in net in case something goes wrong for Lindgren. Also, if Thompson became Washington’s starter, Lindgren could do a solid job as the backup. Overall, adding Thompson will only help the Capitals between the pipes. The competition will bring out the best in not only Thompson, but Lindgren as well. It will be one of the many interesting storylines as hockey season approaches.
