The Ottawa Senators brought in one of the top netminders on the market by signing free agent Joonas Korpisalo to a 5-year, $20 million contract.
Korpisalo increased his value significantly last year after his trade to the Los Angeles Kings, for whom he was lights-out down the stretch. In 11 games for LA, Korpisalo allowed just 2.13 goals per game and stopped .921 percent of the shots he faced.
Despite spotty play during the Kings’ first-round defeat to the high-powered Edmonton Oilers, the 29-year-old proved he can still play at a high level behind a competent NHL defensive corps; the Blue Jackets outfit he shipped 3.13 goals per game for was a skeleton crew.
Korpisalo played his 200th game last season and averages 3.01 goals against per game for his career with a .904 save percentage. He would have to outperform those numbers to be worth Ottawa’s significant investment.
The Sens and GM Pierre Dorion are looking to break into the playoffs for the first time since 2017 and will need better goaltending than they have gotten the past few seasons to do so. Ottawa started a whopping seven goaltenders in 2022-2023 with a combined .900 save percentage, which was also the league average.
Led by homegrown stars Tim Stutzle and Brady Tkachuk, The Senators have talent going forward, but need to tie together their defense to go to the next level in a loaded Atlantic Division.
Dorion and coach Ottawa coach D.J. Smith will hope that Korpisalo proves the missing piece of their hockey puzzle.
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