By Kenny Kaminsky | Follow me on Twitter / X @KennyKaminskyy
Right before Game Seven of the 2024 Stanley Cup Finals, Boston Bruins General Manager Don Sweeney completed the most extensive trade this offseason. He sent former Vezina Trophy winner Linus Ullmark to the Ottawa Senators for goaltender Joonas Korpisalo, depth forward Mark Kastelic, and the 25th pick in the 2024 Entry Draft. Although Ullmark’s departure saddened Bruins fans, it didn’t come as a shock since rumors had swelled around his trade for weeks.
Joonas Korpisalo will immediately impact the team as he looks to take the reins as the backup goalie for this upcoming season. Korpisalo has been an on-and-off starter in the National Hockey League for years. He previously played for the Columbus Blue Jackets, the Los Angeles Kings, and the Ottawa Senators. The Finnish netminder had a fabulous 2022-23 season, split between the Blue Jackets and the Kings, which earned him a shiny new five-year deal worth 20 million dollars.
After signing that massive deal, Korpisalo had a down year behind the struggling Senators. One knock on Joonas’ career has been his inconsistency, but if a coach can help him, it would be Boston’s revered Goalie Coach Bob Essensa. With the change in coaching and a top-tier defensive core, I have high hopes for the newcomer. Bruins’ starter Jeremy Swayman will take the bulk of the games, so Korpisalo should mainly play lesser opponents.
Although the 30-year-old goaltender is considered the backup on paper, hockey isn’t played on paper. Korpisalo will still need to earn his spot. It will be challenging as Boston has some of the best goaltending depth in the National Hockey League. Providence Bruins starter Brandon Bussi could jump into that backup goalie role for Boston if needed.
Korpisalo has an advantage over other goalies in the system, even Swayman. He has played over 275 games in the league on thriving and struggling teams and knows what the team needs to do to succeed. He can be a leader in the locker room and help Swayman since this will probably be Swayman’s first season as the full-time starter.
Now that you know all the background on Korpisalo, what should you expect? When I watch the 6-foot-3 puck-stopper, it reminds me of Tuukka Rask. His stand is shallow to the ice, and his head always moves around screeners. He also has a little Jonathan Quick in his game. There are a lot of beautiful spiraling saves that will end up on ESPN’s Top 10 Plays. He has a high save percentage, which keeps fans on the edge of their seats.
I believe Joonas Korpisalo will have a better season than last year. His worst performance with the Senators came against the New York Rangers. To begin the second period, Korpisalo gave up four goals on four straight shots and was pulled from the game. All the goals came from lucky bounces or defensemen hanging him out to dry. If he has confidence going into this season, he will have a bounce-back year.
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