When the Boston Bruins traded away Linus Ullmark, they did so with a watch towards the longer term. The deal noticed the Bruins transfer Ullmark to the Ottawa Senators in trade for a 2024 first-round draft decide, goaltender Joonas Korpisalo and ahead Mark Kastelic. This deal was a curious one for a lot of followers, because the expectation was that Ullmark would command a a lot greater return than what the Bruins finally obtained. Whether or not or not it’s the next draft decide than the twenty fifth general choice, a direct contributor to fill a necessity both at ahead or on protection, or a transfer that will on the very least liberate nearly all of Ullmark’s $5 million cap hit, the expectations have been larger than the outcomes. Although the commerce verdicts are already in for a lot of, it’s unfair to judge this deal with out seeing Korpisalo performs in a Bruins uniform; this might change the angle.
Realistically, a 30-year-old goaltender with a profession .901 save share, 3.06 goals-against common and a 115-107-29 report most likely isn’t blossoming into something greater than what he’s confirmed to be. On the similar time, the Bruins don’t want Korpisalo to be a substitute for Ullmark. This commerce signifies that the Bruins are going full steam forward with Jeremy Swayman within the crease, giving him an opportunity to start out greater than 44 video games in a season, his career-high set this previous season. If the Bruins entrust Swayman to start out someplace within the 50-55 recreation vary, he’d line up completely with starters across the NHL. This implies the Bruins would wish someplace within the 27-32 recreation vary from their backup goaltender subsequent season.
In a season that noticed Korpisalo begin 55 video games on a disappointing Senators crew, issues didn’t go effectively for the Finnish netminder. A 21-26-4 report, accompanied by a 3.27 goals-against common, .890 save share and -20.79 targets saved above common (GSAA), don’t instill a number of confidence for these analyzing issues at face worth. What this doesn’t keep in mind, nevertheless, is that Korpisalo was tasked with enjoying extra video games than he’s ever performed in a single season in his whole profession. He was additionally tasked with enjoying on an aforementioned disappointing Senators crew that didn’t do loads to supply assist in entrance of him.
Associated: Bruins’ Ullmark Commerce Might Have Unintended Penalties for 2024-25
In Boston, Korpisalo could have the added strain of enjoying for a crew with Stanley Cup aspirations, however with out the stress of a beginning function. He’ll additionally get to study from Bruins’ goaltending coach Bob Essensa, who has confirmed to work wonders for a very long time with nearly any goalie that passes by means of city. He’ll even be enjoying in a crease behind one of many NHL’s finest and deepest defensive models. Korpisalo has additionally confirmed that he generally is a succesful performer and would shine with the Los Angeles Kings in his transient 11-game stint with the crew following a commerce from the Columbus Blue Jackets final season. In 11 video games with the Kings, Korpisalo went 7-3-1 with a 2.13 goals-against common and .921 save share; proof that in the appropriate state of affairs, he’s able to enjoying higher than he has behind some less-than-stellar Blue Jackets groups, and a Senators crew that carried out beneath league-average by nearly each metric final season.
Bruins Nonetheless Have Goaltending Choices
If Korpisalo can provide the Bruins an opportunity to win throughout his begins, he may present the crew with precisely what they want behind Swayman as they attempt to maintain their 25-year-old goaltender recent for the postseason. Swayman confirmed he’s able to enjoying consecutive video games throughout the postseason and there’s no motive to imagine this received’t be the case shifting ahead. On the similar time, burning him out within the common season isn’t advisable and that is the place Korpisalo comes into play. Although the Bruins have some very robust goaltending of their system, together with Brandon Bussi who will compete with Korpisalo for the backup function in coaching camp. Whereas Bussi may outperform Korpisalo, the Bruins clearly weren’t seeking to enter the season with out some insurance coverage in place.
One think about play with Bussi is that, ought to he not carry out as much as the usual the Bruins want, he’d require waivers to be despatched again all the way down to the AHL. The Bruins might not be able to lose him for nothing ought to one other crew view him as a potential improve to their system. Ought to Bussi play higher than Korpisalo, nevertheless, and the Bruins decide that he’s a greater match behind Swayman, the crew may decide to bury Korpisalo’s $3 million wage in Windfall, costing the crew a complete of $1.85 million and liberating up $1.15 million in cap house. This, in fact, is with the belief that one other crew doesn’t view Korpisalo’s $3 million as palatable sufficient to assert him off of waivers.
Proper now, it’s honest to imagine that the backup job in Boston is Korpisalo’s to lose. This doesn’t imply that the Bruins are backed right into a nook in any method, nevertheless, as they do have choices to think about which may and can give them flexibility to compete. The Bruins had the posh of two elite NHL goaltenders enjoying on their crew at one time, however now they’ll must readjust to a extra conventional starter/backup dynamic. The backup job will likely be to spell Swayman and provides the Bruins an opportunity of profitable in restricted alternatives; a much less disturbing job than the beginning place, however an essential job nonetheless.
