Who's been the best player for the Columbus Blue Jackets this season?
Johnny Gaudreau represented the team as the lone All-Star and leads the team with 52 points and 37 assists, and is third with 15 goals.
Boone Jenner leads the team with 17 goals and is third with 32 points. Kent Johnson and Kirill Marchenko are two high-flying scoring rookies. We haven't even mentioned Patrik Laine who is second on the team with 16 goals despite missing 15 games with separate injury stints and a bout with COVID.
Then there's perhaps the most important position on the ice. The goalie. Namely, Joonas Korpisalo.
By now, you know the state of the Blue Jackets' on-ice success or lack thereof this season. We know Korpisalo struggled mightily in 2021-22 before it was announced he was dealing with a hip injury that would require season-ending surgery.
By all accounts, he was the odd man out when the Blue Jackets went all-in on a contract extension for Elvis Merzlikins before last season got underway.
These days, Korpisalo looks as good as he ever has.
Following consecutive starts and wins over the Winnipeg Jets and Dallas Stars that saw him yield the First Star of the Night honors in both, and stopping 65 of 67 shots in both games, he's on an absolute heater.
For the season, Korpisalo is 10-10-3 with a 3.14 GAA and .913 SV% through 24 starts in 26 games played. He's been the best goalie for the team throughout the season, save for some starts by Daniil Tarasov earlier in the year. Even lately, it feels like Merzlikins has started to regroup and head coach Brad Larsen acknowledged last Friday that right now is the most comfortable he's felt about his goaltending situation in a while.
"For sure," Larsen said. "No question. Now it starts to get tougher decisions. It's a good problem. This is the problem you wanted all year to go 'geez I don't know, they both had good starts, what do we do?'
"I think (Korpisalo)'s been obviously the more consistent one. I think (Merzlikins)' game is getting better so that's good news for us."
In three games since #CBJ returned from their "bye" week/AS break, Joonas Korpisalo is 2-1-0 against Toronto, Winnipeg and Dallas.
— Brian Hedger (@BrianHedger) February 19, 2023
He's allowed just five goals (103/108) in those games for a sizzling 1.68 GAA and .954 save percentage while facing a lot of high-danger chances.
According to Evolving-Hockey, Korpisalo's GSAx (9.35) across all situations is 18th in the league. He's 13th in 5v5 situations (8.32). Korpisalo rates slightly better without Evolving-Hockey's score & venue adjustment and the numbers vary ever so slightly on MoneyPuck based on different models and what have you.
Either way, Korpisalo is having one of his better seasons.
While the Blue Jackets feature the worst road record in the league at 6-17-3, Korpisalo has a respectable 3-3-2 record with a 2.66 GAA and .928 SV%. At Nationwide Arena, he's 7-7-1, 3.41, .905.
Joonas Korpisalo was NOT about to become the subject of an 'If you're a goaltender, tend the goal!' tweet. pic.twitter.com/TETkuzRJ7n
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) February 17, 2023
If the Blue Jackets chose to offer him up in a trade deadline deal, he couldn't be performing any better at this time of year. If the Jackets hold onto him for the rest of the season, he's a UFA for the second consecutive off-season and will surely find a home somewhere for next season.
With Merzlikins locked up and Tarasov, who will be 24 years old in March and will have to pass waivers to be sent down to Cleveland, there doesn't figure to be a spot for Korpisalo in Columbus.
At any rate, it's nice to see the eight-year Blue Jacket redeem himself in his walk year and show he's still got it.
