Thursday night saw the second game back for Russian goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky for the Columbus Blue Jackets (17-27-4) after being activated off of IR , as the Calgary Flames (21-21-3) came into Columbus for a game featuring the two worst defensive teams in the league.
This game was seen by many as the game after the metaphorical “warm up” game for Bobrovsky, as he is just returning from a 17-game injury stint via the ever-present groin injury that seems to be a recurring incident in the netminder’s career. This injury has been a thorn in the side of the organization for three seasons running, this one coming as no surprise to anyone even remotely interested in the Blue Jackets. And, it starts to beg the question, is he the man they should be relying on to “save the franchise” from the depths of the league?
Despite there being a general agreement between all fans of the organization that, at this point in time, Sergei is the best choice for the number one goaltender, it is hard to believe that someone who is unable to get over an injury that has plagued his last three seasons can be someone you should rely on solely. So, in short, the options are either, 1) Bring in Joonas Korpisalo full-time to the Blue Jackets organization to become the “goalie in waiting” for the day that Bobrovsky finally drops off in talent, or the organization moves on, or 2) Bobrovsky needs to see out this season, finding his feet again in form and padding his season statistically in order to make him a more attractive piece for a trade in the offseason.
Venturing into the first option, there are many different pros and cons to bring Korpisalo into the organization full-time at this point. For one, there is always a chance of hurting a player’s development if you throw them into the mix too soon. Another one is the fact that, at this point, the defensive core of the Blue Jackets is good at the top, but lacks the depth that will give a goaltender security on a consistent basis, and injuries can come about like that of Bobrovskys’. However, on the other hand, there are the pros that you can find from bringing him in and monitoring his playtime by making sure you have another goalie to split time with him to ensure the aforementioned cons cannot happen.
If Korpisalo has the ability to continue to play how he has this season for the rest of the year, while splitting time, he could arguably develop into the heir to the throne that Bobrovsky currently sits on in Columbus.
The second option, that of trading Bobrovsky in the offseason, could yield many benefits for the organization, but will sound like a broken record to anyone following the team. There is a trend that has developed in Columbus that this is the organization where players start their careers and then move on to greener pastures to become stars in the league. Could this be the same for Bobrovsky?
This could be the determining thought process that keeps the organization from shipping him out at the end of this campaign, and only the future will tell if that’s the right decision or not. Currently, Bobrovsky is sitting on a comfortable contract that he signed last summer that will see him make $29.7 million through the 2018-19 season and is possibly money that could be better spent in weaker areas of the organization. One could venture into the thought process that a goaltender of his status, and his Vezina in 2013, would fetch a pretty penny in the market from a team desperate for a franchise goalie.
However, should Columbus risk their immediate future and put the weight of the city on the shoulders of Korpisalo, a relatively unproven young goalie, Curtis McElhinney, a 32-year-old career backup, and Anton Forsberg, a goalie who splits time with Korpisalo at the AHL level? There have been bolder moves in the NHL over the years, but there are many valid points to be made for either side of this argument, and in the end, the future will lie in the hands of General Manager, Jarmo Kekkalainen.
As for the injury to Bobrovsky, there is no immediate solace to the obviously worried minds of Blue Jackets fans, as Head Coach John Tortorella was quoted as saying. “There’s no sense in me speculating about it.” And, with comments coming from other staff members that there is no word on Bob, there will be no easy sleeping in Columbus tonight as many will await the word that will, for them, hopefully not be another stint on the IR.
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