Together again: Blue Jackets' goaltending duo intact, but for how much longer?
Elvis Merzlikins has a contract extension, but Joonas Korpisalo also has a chance to win the starter's job. 'Frankly, I don't give a (bleep) what happened,' Korpisalo said. 'I'm still going to do me.'
Brian Hedger
Joonas Korpisalo isn’t going to pout.
A week ago, the Blue Jackets goalie learned about his counterpart in net, Elvis Merzlikins, signing a five-year contract extension worth $27 million and he took the news in stride.
“That was super, because I had no idea about that,” said Korpisalo, who like Merzlikins is in the final year of his contract. “It’s business. But frankly, I don’t give a (expletive) what happened. I’m still going to do me. It’s still the same team, same guys. It’s good to be here and I’m going to push with everything I can. It’s not going to change anything for me.”
Not for the short term, anyway.
Broadening the scope, it has become much easier to deduce that Korpisalo’s days as a Blue Jackets goalie are dwindling. He and Merzlikins have shown they're each capable of handling the weight of being a No. 1 goalie and neither has played their best while splitting time.
Both want to be No. 1s, both wanted to stay in Columbus and the Blue Jackets had a tough choice while mulling the risk of losing both as free agents next summer. The salary now invested in Merzlikins indicates he’s their pick, but the Jackets’ front office and coach Brad Larsen aren’t stating it that way.
Larsen said he’s “not going to coach the money,” just because Merzlikins signed an extension. General manager Jarmo Kekalainen approves.
“Ice time will not be divided by the numbers on the contract,” Kekalainen said. “It will be divided by their play. We’ve had a great goaltending tandem for the last couple of years. They’ve competed hard for the ice time. They will continue to compete hard for the ice time.”
Seeking the top spot
Neither goalie reached his potential last season, which contributed to the Blue Jackets’ struggles. Merzlikins and Korpisalo each said that playing more would foster better results for each.
Both wanted that opportunity to be with the Blue Jackets.
“I’ve been six years here,” said Korpisalo, a third-round pick in 2012 who spent four of those six years as Sergei Bobrovsky’s understudy. “I love every season, love the town, love everything here. I just love being here. Obviously, I want to be here 100%.”
Merzlikins, the Jackets’ third-round pick in 2014, was just as passionate.
“Obviously, I want to be number one here in Columbus,” he said. “This is business. I don’t think, if you can keep (us) both, it’s great for the organization … (because) I don’t think he’s gonna be happy or I’m gonna be happy. I want my net, because I know if I’m gonna have my net, I’m gonna get dangerous. That’s what I know.”
At that point, a trade felt imminent. A turbulent offseason changed the plan.
Offseason uncertainty
The story of how the Blue Jackets got to this point, carrying their talented goalie tandem into a third straight season, is tied to the tragic death of Matiss Kivlenieks on July 4 in Novi, Michigan.
Had Kivlenieks not died in a fireworks incident during a celebration at the offseason home of Blue Jackets goaltending coach Manny Legace, things might’ve been different. Kivlenieks was ready to handle an NHL backup role, and sources told The Dispatch that was indeed the plan.
Blue Jackets Q&A: GM Jarmo Kekalainen on a challenging offseason and 'reset' plan
Kivlenieks was going to be exposed in the NHL expansion draft, but a side deal with the Seattle Kraken could have been struck to steer them away from him. Were the Blue Jackets planning to trade Merzlikins or Korpisalo to Seattle and give the other the starter’s net with Kivlenieks as a backup?
If so, they never got the chance to do it.
The Jackets’ goaltending depth took a hit, Merzlikins and Korpisalo stayed together and any trade offers sent to Kekalainen for either of them weren’t enticing enough. Both remained Blue Jackets and arrived in Columbus intent on winning the starting job.
Merzlikins' extension appeared to give some clarity on a pecking order between the two, but apparently that's not the case. At least, not short-term.
Is it at least a sign Korpisalo’s time in Columbus is waning?
“You’ll have to ask Jarmo about that,” he said. “I’ll do everything I can to help the team and play well. Whatever happens, happens … but it’s my team. Nothing changes for me.”
Korpisalo is working back from a minor lower-body injury and hopes to get into a preseason game soon. Both are intent on rebounding from last season and earning the bulk of playing time ahead.
“I see a huge trust from my club to me, obviously, but there is a training camp and still … we are here, me and Korpi,” Merzlikins said of his extension. “So, at the training camp we are going to push together really hard and, obviously, in the net is one. There is going to be one who is going to play, so there is still work (to do), but at the end of the day we are working for our club and our organization.”
Until that changes, they’ll make the best of it.
“Obviously, we both want to play as many games as we (can),” Korpisalo said. “I want to play every game if I can. We’ll just see. What we can do is push each other every day. That makes us both better and it’s good for a team having two good goalies … that makes us better.”
bhedger@dispatch.com
@BrianHedger