Varlamov is not worth 3 draft picks. One 2nd for him with 50% retention might be considered.

The goalie market is pretty awful so prices might be more than you think. That being said I'd be perfectly fine with a 2nd

Pheonix Copley leads the NHL in wins since December 6th with 14. That's more than Ullmark, who only has 11 since then. They'll stick with what they have before they overpay for a rental goaltender.

Islanders likely aren't going to make the playoffs, So it's unlikely they trade for Timo Meier.

moreso a future move than anything, if they arent getting a top 3 pick and plan on remaining competitive for the next 1-3 years theres really no reason to not move their most valuable asset (2023 1st)

Yeah i could definitely see that, it would be no different if Detroit pursues Bo Horvat it's strictly a future move to better the team.

Ride or die with a 31 year old journeyman who could charitably be described as slightly below average? That sounds like a great plan that won't backfire.

Slightly below average doesn't get you the most wins in the league.

Varlamov would obviously be a move for the playoffs. Who do you trust more a guy who has multiple deep playoff runs (recently too) or a career backup (or worse) on an outlier run for a month and a half

Typically a 0.897 save percentage doesn't get you a lot of wins either, but ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

The guy who is currently doing it and is already in the organization. Ride the hot hand while he's hot.

It's not like the Kings are nearing the end of their window and are desperate for one final chance at the Cup. Their window is still opening and they'll be good for another decade. If goalies aren't available for a reasonable price, they'll stick with what they have and go as far as they can. If it doesn't work out, then they'll try again next year when their talented kids are in a better position to contribute more.

The Kings are very good at shot suppression, but they're also notorious for making a few horrific defensive mistakes every game that leaves the goalie out to dry. So if you're allowing 3 guaranteed goals against every game while holding teams to 20-25 shots, your goaltenders' save percentage are going to suffer as a result.

Definitely ride that hot hand. Because he's absolutely going to maintain that through a deep playoff run based on his extensive track record as one of the most pedestrian, replacement-level goalies ever to goalie.

Same could have been said about Jordan Binnington before he won a Cup for St. Louis. He wasn't even the 3rd string goaltender for the Blues at the beginning of the season.

Not even remotely the same thing. Don’t be ridiculous.

Maybe not in hindsight, but people said the exact same thing about Binnington after his first 15 games before he led them to a Cup.