Everyone knew Sergei Bobrovsky was going into the season as the Blue Jackets' No. 1 goaltender. No secrets, no surprises there.
But behind him, there was a lot left to be settled. Curtis McElhinney didn't have a strong season in 2015-16, Anton Forsberg was inconsistent in limited NHL action but tore it up in the Calder Cup playoffs, and Joonas Korpisalo stole the spotlight in Bobrovsky's absence in what was otherwise a lost season for Columbus. Many thought he had the inside track to unseat McElhinney as the No. 2 goalie heading into camp, but it didn't exactly turn out that way.
What did we expect?
A step forward, if nothing else.
Expecting big things from a young goaltender is dangerous territory, but based on what Korpisalo showed in his mini-audition late in 2015-16, there was reason to believe he could win the backup job in training camp and spell Bobrovsky for 20-25 games during the regular season. But, well, projections are only projections for a reason.
Korpisalo struggled mightily in training camp and McElhinney broke camp as the backup goalie almost by default. Then, after a handful of poor performances, McElhinney was placed on waivers (claimed by Toronto) to open the door once again for Korpisalo, who played much better at the NHL level than he did in AHL action this season.
What did we get?
More good than bad.
The Blue Jackets called up Korpisalo prior to their two-game swing through Florida in mid-January, and sure enough, he was a late surprise starter on Jan. 13 in Tampa. Columbus had been sputtering at the time after its 16-game winning streak was snapped in D.C., and they needed a road win (or two) to stabilize the ship when things got choppy. Korpisalo was stout in his first game action and finished the season 7-5-1, recording a shutout on home ice against the Islanders on Feb. 25.
Going into the summer, Korpisalo's future is murky because of the Vegas Golden Knights and the upcoming expansion draft. It's likely he will be exposed by the Blue Jackets (who will protect Bobrovsky) and be available for selection to Vegas, who may have interest in a talented young goaltender with years of team control remaining.
Memorable Moment
Credit to Korpisalo for stepping in and stepping up when the Blue Jackets needed him. They were going into a tough building at Amalie Arena against a desperate Lightning team that was starting to make a run up the standings (and on Martin St. Louis' jersey retirement night, nonetheless) -- but Korpisalo seemed unfazed by it all.
He made 31 saves in his season debut to lead the Blue Jackets to a huge win, one that calmed things down after losing three of four after the 16-game streak. It was one of his better performances of the season and it came in a big spot.
Contract Status
According to CapFriendly.com, Korpisalo will be a restricted free agent on July 1.
| GRADE | B |
