After one season, the Ottawa Senators saw enough of Joonas Korpisalo and traded him away to the Boston Bruins to acquire 2023 Vezina Trophy winner Linus Ullmark. It was a trade that sent shock waves around the NHL.
Korpisalo would go from a starting goaltender position in Ottawa, to being Jeremy Swayman's backup in Boston. Ullmark didn't have to worry about not being the starting goaltender in Ottawa, and Ottawa signed Ullmark to a four-year extension the day before the 2024-25 season began.
In Boston, Korpisalo has struggled deeply, and the Senators are currently in third place in the Atlantic Division with a 4-2-0 record. A new power ranking has shown that Korpisalo being traded to the Bruins looks worse for the Bruins, and it's no longer the Senators problem.
Korpisalo's contract named the worst among goaltenders
The Athletic's James Mirtle recently wrote an article titled "Ranking the NHL's worst goalie contracts, from pricey backups to buyout candidates." In the article, Mirtle ranked Korpisalo's contract as the worst, and Korpisalo certainly hasn't lived up to the expectations in Boston.
According to Puck Pedia, Korpisalo's cap hit is at $4 million per year until 2028. So far this season, Korpisalo is 1-1-0, but has a high goals against average of 4.57 and a low save percentage of .850.
Numbers like that are some of the reasons why the Senators couldn't trust Korpisalo and traded him away. Now, it's the Bruins' problem to deal with.
Although Ullmark has missed the past four games with a strain injury, Ullmark is still 1-1-0 with a 2.58 goals against average and .914 save percentage. Although Ullmark's backup Anton Forsberg had struggles with allowing in at least three goals in three consecutive games, Forsberg had his best game of the season on Tuesday night.
Against the Utah Hockey Club, Forsberg recorded a 31-save shutout. Forsberg has a 2-1-0 record with a 2.94 goals against average and .904 save percentage. To stick it to the Bruins even more, Forsberg's contract with the Senators does expire after 2025, but his salary is at $2.75 million according to Puck Pedia.
For much less money and how the season has gone so far, the Senators trading away Korpisalo gets better. Korpisalo has had inconsistency problems for most of his career, and the Senators are happy they don't have him on the roster anymore.