(Ottawa) Ottawa Senators general manager Pierre Dorion is happy with his goaltending lineup for the upcoming season.
The Senators have signed goaltender Joonas Korpisalo to a five-year, $20 million contract.
The 29-year-old Finn split last season between the Columbus Blue Jackets and the Los Angeles Kings. He went 18-14-4 with a 2.87 GAA and .914 save percentage.
He will support Anton Forsberg and allow prospect Mads Sogaard to continue his development in the American Hockey League.
“I think the opportunity was perfect, that contract, that length, that goalie,” Dorion said. I’m really comfortable with our situation in front of the net. »
Cam Talbot, who Dorion acquired last summer for young Filip Gustavsson, signed a one-year, million deal with the Kings.
Dorion said Korpisalo was his No. 1 target when the free agent market opened.
“We would all love to have a goalie of the caliber of Andrei Vasilevskiy, but there are very few of them,” Dorion said. We believe that in the next group, as a duo, these guys will be very good. They are good friends and they will push each other to the limit. »
In 221 career NHL outings, Korpisalo is 94-81-25 with a 3.01 GAA and .904 save percentage.
Forsberg, who suffered two major knee injuries, played just 28 games last season. Dorion expects him to be ready for the start of camp in September.
Earlier in the day, the Senators signed two young defensemen ahead of the upcoming season.
Erik Brannstrom signed a one-year, $2 million contract, while Jacob Bernard-Docker agreed to a two-year contract worth a total of $1.61 million.
Brannstrom is 23 years old and set career highs with 16 assists and 18 points in 74 games last season.
Bernard-Docker is also 23 years old. He played just 19 games with the Senators last winter, recording one assist.
