Joonas Korpisalo
The Blue Jackets would have liked to see Joonas Korpisalo play better this season for a handful of reasons. He’s been saddled with eight of Columbus’ losses despite only appearing in 18 contests, and his play has left a lot to be desired.
So far this season, 50 netminders have seen action in 15 games or more. Among those netminders, Korpisalo’s GSAA of minus-12.23 ranks 49th. Only Philipp Grubauer has been worse for the expansion Seattle Kraken.
If you’re going to find trade value for Korpisalo, you are going to need to bring a pretty strong microscope. It’d be fair to point out that no team in the NHL gives up more shots per game than the Blue Jackets. Yet Korpisalo has done virtually nothing to prove to contending teams that he’d be worth gambling on, even for a lower-round pick.
Could you imagine the Washington Capitals trotting out Korpisalo for a playoff game after how he’s performed for the Blue Jackets this season? Odds seem against the 27-year-old landing somewhere like that as a rental.
Instead, he could have value as a shot-in-the-dark future for a general manager who’s looking to squeeze some value out of a fourth- or fifth-round pick or C-level prospect. Those kinds of selections don’t turn into NHL-caliber talent often, so perhaps Korpisalo could intrigue someone there.
Hopes of him fetching a second- or third-round pick are long gone, however.