Who Are The 5 Best Goalies In CBJ History?

It's National Goalie Week, and everyone loves goalies, right? 

The Columbus Blue Jackets have had a lot of goalies suit up for them during their 24 years in the NHL. But which ones were the most successful? 

Let's take a look at the top 5 most winningest goalies in franchise history. 

5. Elvis Merzļikins - 2019-Present - 68 Wins - 177 Starts - Merzļikins, should he bounce back and have a really good year, could move up to the number two spot by the end of this next season. 

4. Marc Denis - 2001-2006 - 84 Wins - 253 Starts - Denis was one of the Blue Jacket originals. It's too bad he didn't have a good team around him. In the 2002-03 season, he started 77 games for the CBJ going 27-41-8 with 5 shutouts. He currently sits 5th all-time with 4,510:55 played in a single season. His 77 games is second all-time (78). I can't imagine another NHL goalie playing in 77 games in the modern game.

3. Joonas Korpisalo - 2016-2023 - 87 Wins - 190 Starts - Korpisalo had the unfortunate timing of being in Columbus when Sergei Bobrovsky was in town, and then Elvis showed up. Some believe he is a #1 goalie, while others don't. He definitely had his ups and downs with the Blue Jackets. 

2. Steve Mason - 2008-2013 - 96 Wins - 224 Starts - Mason won the 2009 Calder Trophy, was nominated for the Vezina, and guided his Blue Jackets to the Stanley Cup Playoffs, all as a rookie. Unfortunately for him, the team was never able to get back to the playoffs with him in net and was traded in 2013. 

1. Sergei Bobrovsky - 2013-2019 - 213 Wins - 369 Starts - There's no argument about who the best goalie in CBJ history is. He won two Vezina's and was nominated for another three while in Columbus. He recorded 33 shutouts and had a .921 save %. The future Hall-of-Famer left in 2019 to escape to the beaches of Florida, where he would finally win a Stanley Cup. His departure still haunts hardcore Columbus fans to this day, but there is doubt that he will probably remain at the top of the Columbus goalie record books for a long time. 

The Blue Jackets don't have a ton of goalie prospects that could challenge Sergei Bobrovsky for the top spot. Remember, he was traded to Columbus in 2012. Sure they drafted guys like Steve Mason and Joonas Korpisalo who had mild success, but they need to find the next Bobrovsky if they ever want to make a deep playoff run.

Who is your favorite CBJ goalie? Please share your thoughts on our forum.

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