Bruins Need to Assess Future With Joonas Korpisalo in July – Hockey Writers – Boston Bruins

The Boston Bruins are in trouble. It may not seem like it in their eyes, but they have a decision to make. That is, to keep or not to keep veteran goalkeeper Joonas Korpisalo in the fold.
As recycling advances, the team is looking to the future, and Korpisalo represents a modern solution now, but not a long-term option.
In 2024-25, he finished the season with an 11-10-3 record, a 2.90 goals-against average (GAA), and a .893 save percentage (SV%). Not elite goal production, but no one expected him to be.
Korpisalo was brought in in a trade from the Ottawa Senators, where he had signed a five-year, average annual contract of $4 million. His ability to meet the needs of the organization has been questioned.
According to Natural Stat Trick, he has a negative 7.18 goals against average (GSAA) in 31 games this season as a Bruin, and if you know the puck, this is not a happy fact.
A good GSAA (the higher the better number) the number of goals a goalkeeper has saved compared to the average goalkeeper in the league. Poor GSAA numbers show that the goalkeeper performs worse than the league average goalkeeper.
Korpisalo’s contract has been difficult to sell in the past because of the modified no-trade clause attached. General manager Don Sweeney owes it to the team to find a solution to the issue. As someone who is willing to waste talent, his intelligence should be used to find Korpisalo the perfect situation, especially if he performs spectacularly beyond April.
With Michael DiPietro’s potential promotion in the future, should the Bruins continue to entertain the idea of Korpisalo as a viable backup or as a trade chip to solidify their future?
“The Bruins would like to trade him one way or another and give him a call [Michael] DiPietro, but trust me, they’ll need to spice up the pot with a pick or hope. Throw in a strong goaltending market, and this is a tall order. ” – RG.org
The New York Rangers have a vacancy with the retirement of Jonathan Quick, and with GM Chris Drury’s love of collecting veterans like endless rocks it could be a successful race for Sweeney and the Bruins.
Bruins Need To Put Korpisalo’s Production Under The Microscope
Korpisalo was brought in as nothing more than a backup to Swayman; his production since arriving in Boston should be evaluated to see if he can contribute to the team’s long-term success.
His record wearing the Bruins crest is: 58 games played, 52 of those starts, 25-19-9, 3.03 GAA, and .894 SV%.
Since April 1, in his last 12 games, he has had a record of 7-1-4, where we saw Korpisalo’s biggest impact. But the truth of the matter is, he is not the goalkeeper we saw in Columbus; the role has changed.
Let’s not begrudge Korpisalo his recent success, during his run with the Bruins in 2025-26, but with hopes of making a difference in the American Hockey League (AHL), the team needs to weigh its options to keep a potential non-stop.
He is no longer the same player who made 85 saves in five overtimes against the Tampa Bay Lightning, and it will be something Sweeney will have to deal with in the offseason, if the Bruins fail to make a deep run.
“They were trying hard to find a dance partner and move him,” a senior NHL source told RG recently. “As it always happened when they put emotions, his performance and cap hit was a big issue. Other teams want to go deeper and increase their position, but Korpisalo is not that season.”
The trade that brought Korpisalo to Boston solidified the team’s future, with the 25th overall pick in 2024, with Dean Letourneau making good progress in the NCAA.
Other additions, including the tough Mark Kastelic, have been a problem for other teams to solve in the Bruins’ bottom-six. Korpisalo’s contributions over the past two seasons must be measured against the team’s guidance, including the value of his contract, with $8 million remaining.
His contributions, although very important this season, are evident, but we doubt his future in Boston.
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