Blue Jackets sign goalie Cam Johnson in order to protect Joonas Korpisalo
Anthony Scultore
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The Columbus Blue Jackets can now protect goaltender Joonas Korpisalo from the Seattle Kraken. They re-signed goaltender Cam Johnson to a one-year, two-way contract for 2021-22 in order to do so.
Joonas Korpisalo can be protected
Columbus was in a bit of a pickle since they had no goalie to expose. Elvis Merzlikins is exempt from the expansion draft and they needed to get one under contract to meet the requirement.
There is still some rumblings that the Blue Jackets are looking to move either Korpisalo or Merzlikins in the offseason. However; they are not forced to do so and could run with both goalie again.
Blue Jackets sign Cam Johnson
Johnson, 27, originally signed with the Blue Jackets as a free agent on Jan. 9, 2021, and served on the club’s taxi squad during the majority of the 2021-22 campaign. He posted a 6-1-0 record with a 1.77 goals-against average, .941 save percentage and two shutouts in seven games with the ECHL’s Florida Everblades last season.
The Michigan native has registered a 23-11-2 record with a 2.28 GAA, .926 save percentage and five shutouts in 38 career ECHL contests with the Everblades and Adirondack Thunder from 2018-21. He is 11-16-5 with a 3.80 GAA, .873 save percentage and one shutout in 32 career AHL games with the Binghamton Devils from 2017-19.
Johnson played four seasons at the University of North Dakota from 2014-18, compiling a 56-26-12 record, 2.10 GAA, .914 save percentage and 12 shutouts in 102 career games. In 2015-16, he went 24-4-2 and led the Fighting Hawks to the NCAA championship.
–Field Level Media contributed to this article