4 recently traded players the Blue Jackets can sign in NHL free agency

Kaapo Kahkonen, G/New Jersey Devils

If the Blue Jackets are finally willing to move on from Elvis Merzlikins, they’ll need to find a replacement, and few have been more willing to handle the unenviable task of serving as the netminder of a rebuilding team than Kaapo Kahkonen. He not only dealt with 1A duties with the San Jose Sharks, but they also traded him to the New Jersey Devils later in the year, a team that also struggled defensively. 

But Kahkonen also showed that he could be an effective goaltender for a bad hockey team, even if it didn’t seem to be the case with the Sharks. He finished his time in San Jose this season with a 3.81 GAA and an 0.895 save percentage, allowing nearly 6.5 more goals than expected at even strength. 

But his six starts with the Devils were a different experience, as Kahkonen, despite the 1-4-0 record, finished the year with a strong 0.923 save percentage, a 2.51 GAA, and a shutout. He also finished with just eight goals allowed at even strength, 1.3 better than expected. 

While Kahkonen wouldn’t see the same numbers in Columbus that he enjoyed in Jersey should he sign with the organization in free agency with everything as-is, a couple more reinforcements on the blue line or at defensive forward would help. It’s also important to bring up that Kahkonen doesn’t need to be the 1A, as Daniil Tarasov could lock down the position in training camp. 

Tarasov didn’t snag a shutout, but he also showed off immense growth in 24 appearances and 23 starts with an 8-11-3 record, a 0.908 save percentage, and a 3.18 GAA. At this point, a Tarasov-Kahkonen tandem sounds a lot better than one with Merzlikins involved, given the latter’s inefficacy and larger salary.