The Ottawa Senators were one of the most active teams during the 2022 NHL offseason, making huge acquisitions such as Alex DeBrincat and Claude Giroux. They haven't been nearly as active this offseason after missing the playoffs but did make one big signing. Namely, the Senators landed one of the top goalies on the market in Joonas Korpisalo.

Korpisalo, 29, is coming off one of his better seasons in 2022-23. In 39 games with the Columbus Blue Jackers and Los Angeles Kings, the Finnish net-minder had a .914 save percentage and a 2.87 goals against average, both his best marks in three years. He had a rough postseason, posting an .892 save percentage  and a 3.77 goals against average, but he was going up against the Edmonton Oilers' dynamic offense, so it's not too surprising.

Ottawa desperately needed help in net, and they got in Korpisalo, for five years at $4 million annually. But how well did they really do? Without further ado, let's break it down from both the Senators' and Korpisalo's perspective and assign each party a grade.

Senators' Grade: C

Let's revisit that claim about Ottawa needing help in net, because that brief mention doesn't do it justice. The Senators primarily used two goalies last season: Cam Talbot and Anton Forsberg. Talbot departed in free agency (ironically going to the Kings, Korpisalo's former team), and Forsberg suffered torn MCLs in both of his knees in February. Needless to say, they had to get another goalie this offseason, and they did accomplish that goal with this signing.

However, there are some serious red flags with this move. Joonas Korpisalo isn't a bad goalie at all, but he has been very inconsistent throughout his career. Before this season, he had a save percentage well below .900 in each of the previous two seasons, including a dreadful .877 in 2021-22.

Additionally, Korpisalo's sample size is actually quite small. He has never played 40 games in a season (his 39 this year is a career-high), and he has frequently been the backup option for his own team. Whether it be Sergei Bobrovsky or Elvis Merzlikins, Korpisalo was always sharing the net with someone throughout his time in Columbus. He likely will be again in Ottawa once Forsberg recovers, but he will be the clear top option for one of the first times in his career.

This signing isn't a complete failure, as Korpisalo has shown that he can be a capable starter at times. He even holds the record for most saves in a playoff game, recording 85 in a four-overtime marathon back in 2020. However, shelling out that much money and especially term to a goalie who has mostly been a second option is quite concerning.

Joonas Korpisalo's Grade: A+

From Korpisalo's perspective, he hit a home run with this deal. The goaltending market was relatively weak this offseason (to be fair, star goalies rarely reach free agency), and Korpisalo happened to be the best one available. He took advantage of that fact and was able to cash out in a big way.

To be fair, this payday isn't entirely undeserved. Joonas Korpisalo is coming off an impressive season by any standard, and only upped his game once he got to L.A. The Kings were struggling with goaltending issues all season, and Korpisalo provided some much-needed stability.

Sure, he may have gotten more money than everyone expected, but he earned a decent payday regardless. Expectations will certainly be high for him in Ottawa, and only time will tell how he responds.