Joonas Korpisalo was the ultimate professional while he was in Columbus. For four years, he backed up Blue Jacket great Sergei Bobrovsky and usually played well when he did it.

Korpisalo came to America in 2015 and played three games for the Springfield Falcons, going 0-2 with a GAA of 3.20 and a save % of .878. I’m sure Korpisalo was just adjusting to North American hockey, but in his mind, there’s no doubt he had more to offer. The next season, the Blue Jackets would switch affiliates from Springfield, Massachusetts, to Lake Erie. A welcome change for some of the guys who went back and forth from Columbus to their AHL team. Korpisalo would make an immediate impact for the Monsters.

Korpisalo would play in 18 games for the Monsters that season, going 8-8-4 with a GAA of 2.36 and a save % of .913. More importantly, he would go 6-2 in the Calder Cup Playoffs and help the Monsters win the 2016 Calder Cup. He and former Monster Anton Forsberg would carry the team through the playoffs.

In 2016-17, he only played in 14 NHL games, as starter Sergei Bobrovsky was healthy and playing well. He would also get 16 games in Cleveland that year too. For Columbus, he went 7-5-1, and for Cleveland, he went 7-6-5. The 17-18 year saw Korpisalo’s games creep up to 18, as again Bobrovsky would play 65 games. He would go 8-8-1 in Columbus and 3-4-2 in Cleveland.

In the 2018-19 season, Korpisalo would see his games played balloon to 27. Between starts and relief appearances, his record was 10-7-3. Bobrovsky was pulled a lot that season for various reasons. Korpisalo didn't make any starts in the playoffs that year.

In 2019, we saw the departure of Bobrovsky to Florida, opening the starting position. That year, Elvis Merzļikins also came to North America and was going to battle for the job. Korpisalo would win the starting job, play in 37 games, and go 19-12-5. His GAA that year was 2.60, and his save % was .911. It seemed Korpisalo’s time had arrived. Later. In April of 2020, earned a contract extension.

Korpisalo would go on to start in the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs. He led the charge and upset the Toronto Maple Leafs in the play-in round. In game 1 of the series against the Tampa Bay Lightning, Korpisalo would set the single-game record, making 85 saves in an overtime game for the ages. The game went into a 5th overtime, but the CBJ would lose that game and the series.

The next couple of seasons weren’t very good for the Jackets, or Korpisalo. Splitting time with Merzļikins over three seasons saw an average GAA of 3.54 and a save % of .894 for Korpisalo. In his defense, his blueline did not play well in any way, shape, or form, so both goalies suffered, especially when neither group could bail each other out.

On March 1st, 2023, Joonas Korpisalo’s tenure with the CBJ would come to an end. He and D-man Vladislav Gavrikov were traded to the LA Kings. Korpisalo played well for LA. He would go 7-3-1 in the regular season with stats of 2.13 GAA and a .921 save %; those are the Korpisalo numbers that he’s capable of. His numbers in the playoffs as the starter were not good, however, and the Kings would get knocked out in the first round.

Joonas Korpisalo signed a 5 year, $20,000,000 contract with the Ottawa Senators on Jul. 1, 2023. His first year as a full-time starter didn't go as planned. He started a career-high 49 games and played in 55 total games. His previous career high was the season prior with 37. He finished 21-26-4 with a save % of .809 and a GAA of 3.27. 

After the 2023-24 season, Korpisalo was traded to the Boston Bruins in exchange for Linus Ullmark, giving both goalies a fresh start. In Boston, Korpisalo will be backing up Jeremy Swayman and will be expected to hold the net down when Swayman isn't playing. Many have said that Joonas Korpisalo is a career backup, but if he can play well when he's given his chance in Boston, he could give himself another starting chance in a year or two. 

During his time backing up Bobrovsky, he racked up 90 games played in four seasons, 81 of those being starts. He was backing up one of the best active goalies in the game, so it was going to be hard for him to get playing time, but when he did play, he usually played well. Early in his career, the team couldn’t seem to score when Korpisalo was playing, so he seemed to be always doing it on his own. But as the years went on, that seemed to correct itself.

So far, in his ten-year career, he has a record of 126-117-32 His GAA is just above 3, and his save % is at .901. He will be given a chance to play for a bona fide Stanley Cup contender and be a valuable member of that team. The time is now for Joonas Korpisalo. There can be no excuses. If he wants to be a starter again in this league, he must play well for the Boston Bruins this season. He will then have three years left on his contract, which will take him to the age of 33.

Last year in Boston, he went 11-10-3 with a SV% of .893. He and his Boston Bruins did not have a good season last year. 

Ask anyone who follows Columbus closely whether or not they think Korpisalo will be successful, and the answer is usually yes. But as a starter, his time is running out. 

What do you think? Please share your thoughts on our forum.

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