The Jackets have been mostly quiet today as they stated earlier that they weren’t going to mortgage the future for any players. They believed the players on this roster were the players that were going to take the Blue Jackets on a playoff run. The team definitely needed depth and were able to pick some up in Dallas Stars winger Lauri Korpikoski.
Korpikoski is a speedy winger that doesn’t have great shot differential numbers. He puts up points when given ice time and is mostly placed in a fourth line role. If you had to compare him to a current player, he is a slightly worse player than Matt Calvert.
Considering how much Calvert has been hurt, this is likely a move that has him filling in for him when needed. The Jackets didn’t have to give up any picks and that should be considered a net positive.
Korpikoski is on track to have his best point output since the 2013-14 season. It may be the way the Stars are using him but it is an encouraging sign for a player on the other side of 30.
Many may be concerned with the Jackets letting Dillon Heatherington go after picking him up in the draft only a short while ago. Heatherington never had a very high ceiling and was more of a defensive defensemen than anything else. If anything it may be a knock against Kekalainen’s draft record but he still has a chance at being a solid NHLer. Injuries have derailed him, it’ll be interesting to see if he can recover from it all and bounce back.
The Jackets have had a great shot differential this year that places them in the top third of the league. Korpikoski may effect that portion of the team negatively but it is doubtful that he plays enough to make it into a bigger deal than it needs to be. Fans should be worried if he begins getting top six minutes when in reality he isn’t up to the task.
For now, the Jackets should be happy with their deadline. Depth has been added and they are ready to make some noise in the playoffs.
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