The Columbus Blue Jackets have signed goaltender Joonas Korpisalo to a two-year, $5.6 million, contract extension. The deal, which carries a $2.8 million salary-cap hit, was announced by the club’s general manager and Alternate Governor Jarmo Kekalainen, today. The contract carries Korpisalo through the 2021-22 NHL season.
#CBJ have signed goaltender Joonas Korpisalo to a two-year contract extension.
The Pori, Finland native has set single-season career highs in 2019-20 in wins (19), GAA (2.60, tied), shutouts (2) and games played (37).https://t.co/KwaEIetVHU
— CBJ Public Relations (@BlueJacketsPR) April 17, 2020
Joonas Korpisalo Signs With the Jackets
Over his 5-year NHL career, Korpisalo has registered a 60-43-14 record in 127 games. During that time he has an average save percentage of .908 and three shutouts. He was originally drafted in the 3rd round, 62nd overall by the Blue Jackets in the 2012 NHL Draft.
This season is Korpisalo’s first year in the starting goaltender role. He has won 19 of his 37 games and posted a .911 save percentage, 1 percentage point higher than league average. He has also set single-season career records in wins, saves, shutouts, goals-against-average (tied), minutes played, and games played.
His performance this year earned him the opportunity to play in his first NHL All-Star game with the Metropolitan Division. However, a knee injury prevented him from taking part in the league’s February showcase and derailed his regular season. He missed 25 games between the 29th December 2019 and the 24th February 2020.
GM, Kekalainen, described Joonas as a “young, talented goaltender with a great work ethic and desire to succeed.” He also added, “we are very excited to see his continued development and improvement moving forward.”
What This Means for the Future
Columbus have now signed the first of their two goaltenders, destined for restricted free agency this summer. Korpisalo and his partner, Elvis Merzlikins, have both impressed this season for a Blue Jackets team that have found goal-scoring difficult. Columbus were third-bottom in goals for at the season’s pause. Despite this, they still held the final wildcard spot in the Eastern Conference, albeit by virtue of playing more games than the New York Islanders below them. The team’s netminding can certainly lay claim to plenty of the credit due and Korpisalo’s contract is a sign that the team is in safe hands between the pipes, moving forward.
