An ode to Jonathan Quick

Jonathan Quick has experienced a renaissance. Once a goaltending staple for the Los Angeles Kings, the native of Milford, Connecticut hit hard times last season. Of course, this was before he was traded to the Vegas Golden Knights from the Columbus Blue Jackets.

After a brief stint with the Golden Knights (and a Stanley Cup), Quick was signed by his favorite hockey team growing up: the New York Rangers. Now, the former Kings goalie is having a moment, posting a GAA of 2.54 and a save percentage of .913 in 25 games. That includes two shutouts, where the Rangers are the frontrunners for the President's Trophy.

But that's not all. On Saturday, Quick earned another accolade: being the all-time leader for U.S.-born goalies in wins (392). With the New York Rangers vanquishing the Arizona Coyotes, 8-5, Quick moved to the top of the mountain. With the former Conn Smythe winner conquering the record, let's look at Jonathan Quick's brief (but noteworthy) tenure with the Golden Knights.

Jonathan Quick's time with the Vegas Golden Knight

While Jonathan Quick didn't have the best tenure with the Vegas Golden Knights (3.13 GAA, .901 save percentage in 10 games), he did fill a void. The Golden Knights dealt with numerous goaltending injuries, leaving the team to scramble for help. Enter Quick, who came in while players like Adin Hill healed up.

Plus, Quick did better last season with the Golden Knights than the Los Angeles Kings. In Hollywood, the former Conn Smythe winner was allowing 3.5 goals a game and saved .876 of his shots in 31 games. Suddenly, the Kings looked at other options, including Pheonix Copley, to fill the void. Jonathan Quick's services were no longer needed and was shipped to Columbus (and eventually, Vegas).

On top of that, the native of Milford, Connecticut, had a higher quality start percentage in Vegas (.444) than in Los Angeles (.370). It was a predecessor to Quick's current position, where he's now the all-time U.S.-born leading goaltender in wins.

Jonathan Quick might be a small footnote in Vegas Golden Knights history. This also might be playing devil's advocate for his brief tenure in Las Vegas. However, his brief Vegas tenure propelled him to his Big Apple renaissance. In turn, he's leading the Rangers to new heights, perhaps getting them closer to the Stanley Cup.