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Joonas Korpisalo

Columbus Blue Jackets Extend Joonas Korpisalo

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Who needs Sergei Bobrovsky anyway? The Columbus Blue Jackets did just fine with their unproven goaltending tandem this season, with Joonas Korpisalo and Elvis Merzlikins both performing at All-Star levels when they were called upon. That success requires payment however and both goaltenders were scheduled for restricted free agency this summer. You can check at least one name off the to-do list, as Korpisalo has signed a two-year extension with the Blue Jackets today. Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reports that the deal will carry an average annual value of $2.8MM and keeps Korpisalo under contract through the 2021-22 season. Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen explained just why he decided to offer the contract:

Joonas had the opportunity to play a lot of games for us early in the season before he was injured and responded by playing at an All-Star level. He is a young, talented goaltender with a great work ethic and desire to succeed and we are very excited to see his continued development and improvement moving forward.

Korpisalo, 26, was given 37 starts for the Blue Jackets this season and recorded a .911 save percentage in those games—nearly equalling Bobrovsky’s numbers from a year ago. That performance earned him a selection to the All-Star game, though an injury kept him from attending. Injuries will be the question moving forward and likely will play a role in deciding which of the team’s netminders gets the majority of the games.

Having Korpisalo sign at such a low number will allow the team to keep both, assuming that the negotiation with the arbitration-eligible Merzlikins goes smoothly. Even with a stagnant salary cap the Blue Jackets should have more than enough room to operate with this tandem in place, and the fact that Merzlikins is not eligible for the Seattle expansion draft means the team could have their goaltending positions solved for some time.

It is important to remember however that even though Korpisalo may be new to the net, he will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of this contract. The number may be low but the team bought out only one UFA year.

Columbus Blue Jackets Activate Joonas Korpisalo

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After an impressive performance in his first rehab start, the Columbus Blue Jackets have activated all-star goaltender Joonas Korpisalo from his conditioning loan, according to The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline, giving the team a slight break amidst their long injury list that seems to have been affecting their team.

The Blue Jackets weren’t necessarily sure how long Korpisalo, who has been out since Dec. 29 with a knee injury, would need on his conditioning loan to return to top form. However, Korpisalo made 32 of 34 saves to lead the AHL Cleveland Monsters to a 3-2 overtime victory over the Rochester Americans. That was enough to activate Korpisalo. The team also announced they have assigned goaltender Matiss Kivlenieks and forward Calvin Thurkauf to Cleveland. Korpisalo was not on injured reserve the entire time he was injured, but was placed on LTIR in order for the team to send him to Cleveland for his conditioning stint.

Korpisalo was a dominant player before going down with a 17-10-4 record, a 2.49 GAA and a .913 save percentage. He was named to the all-star team, but the knee injury he sustained prevented him from attending. With Korpisalo back, the Blue Jackets should have one of the top one-two tandems in the league as former backup Elvis Merzlikins has been dominant since Korpisalo went down. Merzlikins has gone 12-9-8 in Korpisalo’s place with a 2.37 GAA and a .922 save percentage. Together, they should comprise a top pairing.

The team has struggled through multiple injuries and have eight players on injured reserve at the moment, including forwards Cam Atkinson, Brandon Dubinsky, Alexander Wennberg, Josh Anderson, Alexandre Texier and defenseman Seth Jones, Dean Kukan and Ryan Murray.

 

Joonas Korpisalo Sent To AHL On Conditioning Loan

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The Columbus Blue Jackets have been getting Vezina-type goaltending for the last month, but haven’t even had their presumed starter healthy. Elvis Merzlikins took over the net and is performing at an All-Star level, but now the real All-Star, Joonas Korpisalo, is on his way back. Korpisalo, who hasn’t played since the end of December, has been loaned to the AHL for a conditioning stint as he prepares to return to action.

The 25-year old has missed 22 games with a knee injury, but actually wasn’t placed on injured reserve until today. That allowed the Blue Jackets to send a goaltender down on off days to keep them fresh, while Merzlikins handled almost all of the NHL work.

Before his injury, Korpisalo had been playing extremely well. After a shaky start as the No. 1 goaltender in Columbus, he had posted a .932 save percentage over his last month with a 7-2-3 record. That earned him a nomination to the All-Star Game, though he could not attend. In his place, Merzlikins has kept up that incredible play, posting a .924 save percentage in 29 appearances including five shutouts.

When Korpisalo returns, the Blue Jackets will have a tandem with the ability to be one of the best in the league. Whether they decide to let them share the net is unclear, but after such a frustrating season injury-wise, it will be nice to have some added depth at the position.

Kole Sherwood has also been assigned to the Cleveland Monsters.

Snapshots: Three Stars, Penguins, Miller

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The Metropolitan Division is well represented in the NHL’s Three Stars of the Week, as the league announced that the Capitals’ Alex Ovechkin and the Blue Jackets’ Elvis Merzlikins have been named the first and second stars, respectively. Ovechkin is no stranger to the honor, but was certainly deserving of recognition once again with a whopping eight goals in three games, including back-to-back hat tricks. The 34-year-old trails only David Pastrnak in the NHL goals race right now and is eight goals away from cracking 700 in his career. Meanwhile, Merzlikins is brand new to both the NHL and any sort of league recognition. The young goaltender, who dominated the Swiss ranks for many years, got off to a rocky start this season after signing with Columbus last spring. However, he has performed admirably in the place of injured All-Star Joonas Korpisalo, including winning each of his past four start with three shutouts mixed in. In 20 appearances on the year, Merzlikins is now up to a .928 save percentage and 2.36 GAA in an impressive rookie campaign. The third star of the week belong to another familiar name, Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews. Toews shook off a cold spell, recording three goals and nine points in four games this week, extending his point streak to six games. As Toews goes, so do the Blackhawks, who have been surging of late back into the postseason conversation.

  • The Pittsburgh Penguins are among the top-five NHL teams in man-games lost this season and first in lost production due to injury. However, they have weathered the storm, not just maintaining through their losses, but actually improving. Now, they are getting healthy once again, with Sidney Crosby now back (and red-hot) and defenseman Justin Schultz getting close, per a team report. Schultz was cleared for full participation in practice today and appears ready to go, but stated that he and the team will be “smart” with the decision, especially with the All-Star break approaching and the opportunity for even more rest if they opt not to rush him back this week. Meanwhile, after leaving Sunday’s game, Dominik Simon has avoided any lasting injury, the Penguins The same can’t be said for Dominik Kahun, who suffered a head injury and has entered the concussion protocol. That just seems to be how things have gone for Pittsburgh this year though – for every player back to full strength, there’s another player sidelined.
  • One of the Penguins’ biggest rivals for the Eastern Conference title could be getting a somewhat forgotten player back in the mix. The Boston Bruins, after not having an update on defenseman Kevan Miller for some time, surprised the media by stating that he returned to the ice with the team yesterday. Miller has not played a single game this season, nor has he even been part of the active roster. The veteran defenseman has suffered multiple setback in his return to health after a litany of injuries last season. Should he reach the point that he is fully able to return to action, the Bruins would welcome him back, despite their logjam on the blue line, as Miller would bring the physicality and checking ability that the team has been missing too often this year. Of course, his return could pose some cap problems in addition to roster questions, but given Miller’s inability to get healthy this season, that is a bridge that the team will cross if and when they come to it.

Blue Jackets Notes: Recent Surge, Bjorkstrand, Wennberg

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No team in the NHL is hotter than the Columbus Blue Jackets in the new year. Columbus is 8-2-0 in their past ten games, which includes three shutouts and a pair of wins against the Boston Bruins. The team has now crept their way into the top wild card spot in the Eastern Conference, jumping ahead of the likes of Philadelphia, Carolina, and Toronto. Even more impressive is that the Blue Jackets have made this run while missing many of their best players: starting goaltender Joonas Korpisalo, top scorer Cam Atkinson and fellow forwards Oliver Bjorkstrand, Josh Anderson, and Alexandre Texier, and defensemen Ryan Murray and Dean Kukan. With those players on their way back to health – Atkinson made his return on Thursday – one would think that Columbus has a chance to not only sustain their success, but possibly even improve upon it.

Yet, the question then becomes whether the team can really buy in to this season after the events of 2018-19. Last year, the Blue Jackets went all in, trading away Anthony Duclair, two top forward prospects, a first-round pick, two second-round picks, and three additional picks to load up with rentals Matt Duchene, Ryan Dzingel, Adam McQuaid, and Keith Kinkaid. The team also opted not to move their own impending free agents in Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky. Although Columbus stunned the Tampa Bay Lightning with a first-round sweep, the first playoff series win in franchise history, they fell in the second round and lost each of those six free agents in the off-season. If the Blue Jackets are again in a position only to battle for a wild card spot down the stretch, can the team risk another season of lost prospects and draft capital? Only time will tell how long the team can continue this dominant stretch and what position they may be in by late next month, but another active trade deadline would be a difficult hit to the team’s pipeline.

  • Columbus’ best bet may be to depend on their internal options to get healthy and play to the best of their abilities. The team announced a step in the right direction today, as Bjorkstrand has been activated from the injured reserve and will return to action for the first time since December 22. Bjorkstrand is actually returning earlier than his expected four-to-six week timeline, healing quickly from broken ribs. Bjorkstrand was on pace for a career year prior to his injury, with 23 points in his first 36 games. The 24-year-old winger was embracing his increased responsibility and Columbus has to hope that he can continue to excel in his elevated role the rest of the year. With Bjorkstrand back, Kevin Stenlund is the odd man out, reassigned to the AHL.
  • If the Blue Jackets are to lean on their existing roster this season for a playoff run, another intriguing situation will be the trade status of Alexander Wennberg. Wennberg has been on the trade block since early last season and in the minds of many hockey pundits remains a player that Columbus would like to move. The young center has not lived up to the long-term extension the team signed him to back in 2017, which carries a $4.9MM cap hit for three more years beyond this season. However, as opposed to last season when Wennberg recorded only 25 points and was scratched a handful of games, Wennberg too has embraced his increased role in the wake of free agent departures and injuries this year. The 25-year-old has played in all but one game for the Blue Jackets, recording 20 points. This puts him on pace for 34 points on the year, a sharp uptick from last season. It also makes him a top-six scoring forward for the team so far this year. Can Columbus afford to move out a player in such an important role this year for only salary cap purposes when they are trying to make it back to the postseason?

Kris Letang, Tristan Jarry Named To Metropolitan All-Star Team

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The NHL’s 2020 All-Star roster announcement on December 30th was poor timing when it came to the Metropolitan Division squad. The following day, it was announced that Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Joonas Korpisalo had undergone surgery on his right knee following an injury in his previous game and would require a four-to-six week recovery period, all but ruling him out for All-Star festivities. Within hours, it was reported that his would be All-Star teammate, Pittsburgh Penguins forward Jake Guentzel, would require surgery on his shoulder for an injury that he too had just suffered in his last game would miss four-to-six months. Neither player would be available in St. Louis and the Metropolitan team would need replacements.

With Guentzel out, the Pittsburgh Penguins – who have missed more man-games than any team in the NHL this season – were without an All-Star representative. The NHL has now rectified that situation. The league has announced that breakout goaltender Tristan Jarry and veteran defenseman Kris Letang have been named the substitutes for Guentzel and Korpisalo at the All-Star Game and Skills Competition.

Jarry, who made just two NHL appearances last year and has less than 50 games to his credit through five pro seasons, is nevertheless worthy of an All-Star nod in recognition of his play this season. Jarry has been dominant by any measure through 20 games with the Penguins, to the point that he has supplanted incumbent Matt Murray as the team’s starter. At this point in time, Jarry holds the league’s best numbers across the board with a .935 save percentage, a stunning 1.99 GAA, and three shutouts to boot. Jarry looks to be developing into the real deal and this may end up being the first of many All-Star appearances for the young netminder.

Letang, a five-time All-Star, is a good choice for recognition any year, but has really stepped up offensively in the wake of many injuries for the Penguins, including long absences for both Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin. Letang is on pace for a career-high 22 goals to go along with 57 points, despite the fact that he too missed eight games due to injury. Letang is as dynamic a talent on the back end as any defenseman in the league and will be a major asset for the Metropolitan squad in both skills contests and 3-on-3.

Joonas Korpisalo Undergoes Surgery

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John Tortorella won’t be happy. The Columbus Blue Jackets announced today that All-Star goaltender Joonas Korpisalo underwent surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee and will be out four to six weeks.

Korpisalo was injured in a shootout against the Chicago Blackhawks, one that Tortorella believed shouldn’t have even happened thanks to a time clock mistake at the end of overtime. Whether he’s right in that belief or not, he’ll have to deal with the fact that his starting goaltender is now out for at least a month.

Selected to the All-Star game as one of the Metropolitan Division goaltenders, Korpisalo has been as hot as any netminder in the league of late. The 25-year old took over for the departed Sergei Bobrovsky this season and has posted a .913 save percentage in 32 appearances. He will most likely miss that All-Star appearance now, giving an opportunity to someone like Tristan Jarry or Semyon Varlamov as a replacement.

NHL All-Star Selections Announced

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Although it took some time, with each individual team rolling out their own selections, the final rosters for All-Star Weekend have come into focus. Below are each of the four divisional team, set to face off in the Skills Competition on Friday, January 24th and the All-Star Game on Saturday, January 25th:

Atlantic Division

G Frederik Andersen, Toronto Maple Leafs
G Tuukka Rask, Boston Bruins
D Victor Hedman, Tampa Bay Lightning
D Shea Weber, Montreal Canadiens
F Tyler Bertuzzi, Detroit Red Wings
F Jack Eichel, Buffalo Sabres
F Anthony Duclair, Ottawa Senators
F Jonathan Huberdeau, Florida Panthers
F Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs
F David Pastrnak, Boston Bruins (C)

Metropolitan Division

G Braden Holtby, Washington Capitals
G Joonas Korpisalo, Columbus Blue Jackets
D John Carlson, Washington Capitals
D Dougie Hamilton, Carolina Hurricanes
D Seth Jones, Columbus Blue Jackets
F Mathew Barzal, New York Islanders
F Jake Guentzel, Pittsburgh Penguins
F Travis Konecny, Philadelphia Flyers
F Kyle Palmieri, New Jersey Devils
F Artemi Panarin, New York Rangers

Central Division

G Jordan Binnington, St. Louis Blues
G Connor Hellebuyck, Winnipeg Jets
D Roman Josi, Nashville Predators
D Alex Pietrangelo, St. Louis Blues
F Patrick Kane, Chicago Blackhawks
F Nathan MacKinnon, Colorado Avalanche (C)
F Ryan O’Reilly, St. Louis Blues
F Mark Scheifele, Winnipeg Jets
F Tyler Seguin, Dallas Stars
F Eric Staal, Minnesota Wild

Pacific Division

G Marc-Andre Fleury, Vegas Golden Knights
G Darcy Kuemper, Arizona Coyotes
D Mark Giordano, Calgary Flames
F Logan Couture, San Jose Sharks
F Leon Draisaitl, Edmonton Oilers
F Anze Kopitar, Los Angeles Kings
F Connor McDavid, Edmonton Oilers (C)
F Elias Pettersson, Vancouver Canucks
F Jakob Silfverberg, Anaheim Ducks
F Matthew Tkachuk, Calgary Flames

Additionally, each divisional squad will have one more addition as decided by the Last Men In fan vote. Voting opens on January 1st and closes on the 10th. Here are the candidates:

Atlantic Division – Patrice Bergeron, Rasmus Dahlin, Dylan Larkin Aleksander Barkov, Max Domi, Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Steven Stamkos, Mitch Marner

Metropolitan Division – Teuvo Teravainen, Nick Foligno, Nico Hischier, Brock Nelson, Mika Zibanejad, Claude Giroux, Kris Letang, T.J. Oshie

Central Division – Jonathan Toews, Cale Makar, Jamie Benn, Ryan Suter, Matt Duchene, David Perron Patrik Laine

Pacific Division – Ryan Getzlaf, Clayton Keller, Johnny Gaudreau, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, Drew Doughty, Tomas Hertl, Quinn Hughes, Max Pacioretty

Columbus Blue Jackets Recall Matiss Kivlenieks

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12:30pm: Korpisalo will be out “weeks” according to Tortorella, who also admitted to Hedger that his comments were undisciplined.

9:12am: After Joonas Korpisalo was injured in last night’s game, the Columbus Blue Jackets have recalled Matiss Kivlenieks under emergency conditions. Korpisalo was injured in a shootout that head coach John Tortorella believes should never have even happened, after a clock issue late in overtime. Tortorella may be facing some discipline for his remarks, as NHL director of hockey operations Colin Campbell told Brian Hedger of the Columbus Dispatch that the comments were “unprofessional along with unacceptable.”

The focus now however is on Korpisalo, who has been excellent for the Blue Jackets lately and has them back on the playoff bubble in the Eastern Conference. While they still sit seventh in the Metropolitan Division, Columbus’ 42 points are just six shy of Carolina for the final playoff spot.

Kivlenieks meanwhile is having an inconsistent season with the Cleveland Monsters of the AHL in his third full professional campaign. The 23-year old goaltender carries an .894 save percentage in 15 appearances, well behind his partner Veini Vehvilainen. If Korpisalo misses any length of time, you can bet Elvis Merzlikins will get the first chance to take the NHL net.

Morning Notes: Three Stars, Wildcats, Czechs

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The NHL has released their Three Stars for last week, with a new name gracing the top spot. Florida Panthers forward Noel Acciari has been given the honor after scoring back-to-back hat tricks and seven total goals in three games. The 28-year old had never scored a hat trick in the NHL previously, making this quite the week.

Second place went to a familiar name in Roman Josi after his six-goal week from the Nashville Predators blueline, but third was another new face. Joonas Korpisalo of the Columbus Blue Jackets put up the best week of his short career, going 4-0 with a .939 save percentage and showing that he may be capable of handling the starting role going forward. The 25-year old goaltender is 16-10-3 on the season after the Blue Jackets watched veteran starter Sergei Bobrovsky leave via free agency.

  • According to Mikael Lalancette of TVA Sports, the Moncton Wildcats of the QMJHL have a new head coach. Daniel Lacroix, a former enforcer and long time NHL assistant coach has taken the job, returning to the team that he worked with for several years after retirement. Lacroix actually served as head coach for a short time in the 2004-05 season but will now get a chance to really take control of the squad after they parted ways with John Torchetti earlier this month.
  • The Czech Republic World Junior team has been finalized, after they cut five players earlier today. Jaroslav Broz, Filip Koffer, Martin Lang, Miroslav Kukla, and Jan Bednar have all been sent home. Bednar is just 17 and will likely be back at the tournament next season, given his status as a top goaltending prospect for the 2020 draft.

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