Blue Jackets sign G Joonas Korpisalo to two-year extension

The Columbus Blue Jackets have signed goaltender Joonas Korpisalo to a two-year contract extension through the 2021-22 National Hockey League season, club General Manager and Alternate Governor Jarmo Kekalainen announced today.

Korpisalo, who turns 26 on April 28, has set single-season career highs in wins, goals-against average (tied), shutouts, saves, minutes played and games played with a 19-12-5 record, 2.60 goals-against average (GAA), .911 save percentage (SV%), two shutouts and 938 saves in 2,126 minutes in 37 appearances in 2019-20. He leads the Blue Jackets in games played, wins, saves and minutes played. The netminder was selected to appear in his first career NHL All-Star Game this season but missed the event in St. Louis due to a knee injury suffered on December 29 vs. Chicago. The injury also sidelined him for 25 games during the campaign.

"Joonas had the opportunity to play a lot of games for us early in the season before he was injured and responded by playing at an All-Star level," said Kekalainen. "He is a young, talented goaltender with a great work ethic and desire to succeed and we are very excited to see his continued development and improvement moving forward."

The Pori, Finland native ranked fifth in the NHL in goals-against average and ninth-T in save percentage from November 1 through the pause in the current season on March 12 (minimum 25 games played) with a 14-8-4 record, 2.31 GAA, .920 SV% and two shutouts in 27 outings. He won a career-high five-consecutive games from December 16-23 and posted a career-high nine-game point streak from December 9-27 (6-0-3).

Columbus' third round pick, 62nd overall, at the 2012 NHL Draft, Korpisalo owns a 60-43-14 with a 2.80 GAA, .908 SV% and three shutouts in 127 career games with the club. He also registered a 19-20-6 mark with a 2.50 GAA, .911 SV% and two shutouts in 46 career American Hockey League outings with the Lake Erie/Cleveland Monsters and Springfield Falcons from 2014-20. He helped the Monsters capture the 2016 Calder Cup championship with a 6-2 record and 2.96 GAA in nine playoff outings.

Korpisalo spent four seasons in Finland's top professional league from 2012-15, posting a 17-15-7 record in 48 games with Ilves Tampere and Jokerit. He has represented Finland at several international tournaments, including the 2017 IIHF World Championships, 2013 IIHF World Junior Championships and 2012 IIHF World U18 Championships.