Ready or not, here comes Daniil Tarasov.
The Blue Jackets' young goaltending prospect was, in a perfect world, slated to be the No. 1 netminder in Cleveland this season.
What's that saying about the best laid plans?
If head coach Brad Larsen had his goaltending plans written on a napkin, it's been crumbled up and tossed in the garbage. Nothing like a curveball before the puck has even dropped, eh?
Elvis Merzlikins didn't make the trip to Raleigh due to illness, meaning Tarasov gets the call in the Blue Jackets' season opener. Joonas Korpisalo remains out after offseason hip surgery (the same procedure Tarasov had a month earlier), and Jet Greaves is joining the team on emergency recall.
NEWS: #CBJ add goaltender Jet Greaves to the roster on emergency recall and loan center Kent Johnson to @monstershockey.
— CBJ Public Relations (@BlueJacketsPR) October 12, 2022
Elvis Merzlikins is not available for tonight's game at Carolina due to illness.https://t.co/UJoNI5zSod
Tarasov, 23, was the Blue Jackets' third-round pick (No. 86 overall) in 2017 and has been slowly climbing the ranks since arriving in North America. He made three starts in 2021-22, going 0-2-0 but with impressive numbers: 2.40 goals against average and a .937 save percentage.
"Every day is something new, right?" Larsen said after today's morning skate. "You've just got to deal with it. (Tarasov) is excited, that's all I needed to hear. He had a big smile and he's ready to go."
