5 random players you forgot were on the Los Angeles Kings

Los Angeles Kings: Grant Fuhr

Even if his five Cup rings were fading, Fuhr was fresh off the William Jennings Trophy in 1994-95. Granted, he had split the honor with fellow future Hall of Famer Dominik Hasek, but he had been a top-10 All-Star candidate four years running before that.

Barely a month into the lockout-delayed campaign, the Sabres swapped him to the Kings in a blockbuster deal. With that move, the face (Wayne Gretzky) and the mask (Fuhr) of Edmonton’s ’80s dynasty were reunited.

Having effectively lost his previous starting job to Hasek, the 32-year-old Fuhr had something to prove. So did Gretzky’s new core group after a 1993 Cup final berth gave way to a playoff no-show in 1994.

But neither the new goalie nor the Kings could remotely replicate the old Oilers. In L.A., the 1988 Vezina Trophy winner and four-time finalist for the individual goaltending prize had his worst output since 1982-83.

Only that year’s goals-against average (4.30) surpassed the stench of this year’s (4.03). And remember that the early ’80s were a high-scoring era, whereas the mid-’90s were defined by the defensive trap.

Moreover, Fuhr won only one of his 14 outings with the Kings, going 1-7-3 and missing the 1995 postseason with the rest of his renting team.

Over the summer, he went to St. Louis, where he immediately reversed his fortunes to the tune of sixth-place finishes on the All-Star, Vezina, and even Hart Trophy ballot. He would also post a winning record in each of his four seasons as a Blue.