When Joonas Korpisalo wasn’t moved at the deadline, a few eyebrows were raised around the league given his status as a pending unrestricted free agent. The Columbus Blue Jackets essentially explained why, announcing that Korpisalo will undergo hip surgery and is expected to miss the next six months. Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen released a statement:
"This is an injury that Joonas has been dealing with for some time and it has now gotten to the point where surgery is the best option. We are disappointed for him as he has worked extremely hard to be able to play, but this is the best course of action."
Korpisalo, 27, now heads into the offseason with an uncertain future. A six-month timeline would suggest he could be ready for the start of next season, but he will be without a contract unless he re-ups with the Blue Jackets at some point before hitting the open market. In just 22 appearances this season, Korpisalo registered a career-worst .877 save percentage and 4.15 goals-against average. He is among the worst in the league at goals saved above average, ahead of only Philipp Grubauer in that category. While this injury explains at least part of that, it also complicates his future, as a return to his previous form is anything but a guarantee.
This isn’t even the first goaltender to require hip surgery for the Blue Jackets this season. Daniil Tarasov, essentially the team’s third-string option, also underwent surgery and was given a six-month timeline in February. That leaves Elvis Merzlikins and Jean-Francois Berube as the NHL options for the rest of the season, while Jet Greaves and Cam Johnson continue in the minor leagues.
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