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Columbus Blue Jackets Sign Korpisalo, Dalpe, and Kukan to Extensions

By Preston Byers

Apr 6, 2017; Columbus, OH, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets goalie Joonas Korpisalo (70) against the Winnipeg Jets at Nationwide Arena. The Jets won 5-4. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 6, 2017; Columbus, OH, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets goalie Joonas Korpisalo (70) against the Winnipeg Jets at Nationwide Arena. The Jets won 5-4. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Columbus Blue Jackets have signed three players to extensions today, announcing that Joonas Korpisalo, Zac Dalpe, and Dean Kukan have all inked new deals with the club.

Joonas Korpisalo is the biggest name out of the bunch, being the No. 2 goalie on the Columbus Blue Jackets behind Hart and Vezina finalist Sergei Bobrovsky. Korpi got some chances at proving himself this season and performed pretty well in his 14 appearances. He finished the NHL season with a 7-5-1 record, 2.88 goals against average, and one shutout.

Zac Dalpe spent no time in Columbus this year after being claimed off waivers by the Jackets. He played in nine NHL games for the Minnesota Wild, scoring once and assisting twice. Once he was brought into the CBJ organization, he was sent to the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters. There he netted eight goals and assisted on seven in 20 games.

Dean Kukan, a 23 year-old Switzerland native, played in 72 games for the Monsters this season. The two-way defenseman scored four times and finished the year with 25 assists.

Korpisalo signed a two-year, one-way extension while Dalpe and Kukan were subjected to two-way deals. Dalpe was similarly signed to a two-year contract but Kukan got just one year.

Unlike Korpisalo and Kukan, Dalpe is looking at one of his last shots to make an impact for a team. Once a second round draft pick, Dalpe has struggled to find his footing in the NHL. In 128 regular season games, he has totaled 24 points, 23 penalty minutes, and a -28 plus-minus. Dalpe did play two years at The Ohio State University so maybe some familiar sights and sounds of Columbus will help him find his groove.

No matter if he can or not, the extensions of Korpisalo and Kukan are exciting due to each of their skills. Although I don’t see Korpi becoming a top option for the Jackets in the future, he is a solid developing backup that can hold his own if the defense plays well. Kukan didn’t get any time in Columbus in 2016-2017, but with the looming expansion draft and the ever-real possibility of losing either Jack Johnson or Ryan Murray to the Vegas Golden Knights, he has a great chance to touch NHL ice in the new season.

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