Columbus Blue Jackets: What About Bob?
By Kyle Zies
Columbus Blue Jackets: With Strong Play of Rookie Joonas Korpisalo, What About Bob?
It is an understatement to say that the Columbus Blue Jackets got off to a poor start this season. The Jackets didn’t stumble, but rather fell flat on their face and managed to get trampled over by the rest of the horses out of the gate leading to the firing of head coach Todd Richards. Nobody played well. Nobody. But perhaps the most troubling was that of goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky. The 2013 Vezina Trophy winner admitted to having zero confidence and looking lost in between the pipes. Bobrovsky rebounded under new head coach, John Tortorella, and has since been sidelined (twice) with groin injuries.
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Out of nowhere, a young Finn by the name of Joonas Korpisalo (insert fun nicknames here) has came onto the scene and made the Jackets faithful forget about the troubling start of the number one goaltender, Bobrovsky. Now, however, with the Jackets being all but eliminated from playoff contention has those same fans scratching their heads about the 2016-17 campaign and where Korpisalo and Bobrovsky fit in between the pipes.
It is almost certain to say that journeyman backup Curtis McElhinney will have a new address after this season as he has done nothing to prove himself capable of anchoring down the number two spot on the depth chart. This opens the door for Korpisalo and leads to an intriguing debate for next season.
Coach John Tortorella has already said that Bobrovsky is still the number one goaltender but stated “…Korpi has
made a pretty damn good case for himself.” This leads us to a far too early prediction for next years rotation in net. After 2013, Jackets management made it clear that they wanted Sergei Bobrovsky to start as many games as possible. However, nagging groin injuries have made that wish no longer possible. With the groin being such a vital part to an athletes body, especially a goaltender required to make acrobatic saves on a regular basis, it would be a major mistake to push Bobrovsky as an every night starter.
With the emergence of Korpisalo, perhaps this is a blessing in disguise. Korpisalo’s play, a small sample size yes, has made it a much more comfortable and compelling option to play the two net minders in perhaps a 60-40 split. Bobrovsky would be capable of playing 60% of the matchups, approximately 49 games and prevent him from having to play three games in a row. Korpisalo would play 40%, roughly 33 games giving Bobrovsky a much needed rest and prevent any further damage to his groin.
Next: Blue Jackets Goaltending Depth
It would be immature for the Jackets to name Korpisalo the definite number one and shop Bobrovsky in the offseason. That’s a no-no. Columbus needs to enjoy their riches in net and much improved defense to lead them next season, not aimlessly shop their assets.