Blue Jackets re-sign Daniil Tarasov to three-year extension, bolster net depth

The Blue Jackets have filled another piece of their goaltending puzzle.

The team announced Wednesday that rookie goalie Daniil Tarasov, whose season ended Jan. 1 because of a hip injury, signed a three-year contract extension that will pay him a total of $3.15 million over the course of the deal and which runs through 2024-25. It carries an NHL salary cap charge of $1.05 million per season.

"Coming out of the entry level (contract) shouldn’t be that hard to come to terms," Kekalainen said. "We knew Tarasov wasn't going anywhere. It was just a matter of agreeing on the contract. Now we have three quality (NHL caliber) goaltenders and Tarasov’s locked up for three years, so we believe he’s going to have a big future ahead of him.”

Tarasov, 23, had season-ending hip surgery on Feb. 23 in New York and was given an estimated recovery time of six months. He was hurt in the second period of the Jackets’ 7-4 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Jan. 1 at Nationwide Arena, a game in which he’d allowed just two goals on 33 shots.

At the time of his surgery, Kekalainen said operating was the best treatment after more than a month of rehab failed to correct the issue. Tarasov and veteran Joonas Korpisalo, who underwent season-ending hip surgery himself in April, are both expected to be ready for the start of training camp in September.

The hope is that each regains their full range of skills to give the Blue Jackets two strong backup options behind starter Elvis Merzlikins, whose five-year contract extension worth $27 million begins next season. Kekalainen also signed 21-year old Jet Greaves to an entry-level deal last season, which was earned while splitting the season between the Cleveland Monsters of the American Hockey League and the ECHL's Kalamazoo Wings.

"We have four good ones and we’re probably going to get another goalie," Kekalainen said. "We’re probably going to need five goalies altogether, but I think we’re in a good spot as far as our future goes, with Tarasov being so young and Elvis being locked up for five years. It’s a good way to start.”

The Blue Jackets also have two goalies, Jean-Francois Berube and Cam Johnson, who are set to become UFAs in July.

Berube, 30, played six games for the Blue Jackets and 19 in the AHL with the Monsters. After a hot start during his first NHL action in four years, Berube cooled off while barely playing down the stretch as Merzlikins' backup. He finished with a 3-2-0 record, 4.12 goals-against average and .900 save percentage.

Johnson, after being removed from training camp for not meeting physical fitness standards, didn't make it back to Columbus. He split the season between the Monsters (20 appearances) and ECHL's Florida Everblades (15 appearances), leading the latter to an ECHL championship with a 1.90 GAA and .931 save percentage in 18 playoff games.

Kekalainen declined to say whether the Blue Jackets were interested in retaining either one as next season's fifth goalie. As for the top three, the entire trio will carry a lot of motivational into next season. Merzlikins is out to show he's worth the long-term extension, while Tarasov and Korpisalo will be given chances to show they're both fully healed from the hip surgeries.

Korpisalo has the most to prove at age 28. The Finnish netminder was set to become an unrestricted free agent in July, but re-signed with Columbus on May 20, agreeing to a one-year contract worth $1.3 million that will give him a chance to rebound from struggles the past two years at the NHL level.

"I think Korpi realized this is a good way for him to bounce back in a familiar situation," Kekalainen said, referring to the goalie's seven-year NHL career entirely spent with the Blue Jackets. "He needs to redeem himself and we believe he will. He believes he will, too, and I think it will be a good situation for us."

Tarasov was a pending RFA whom the Blue Jackets feel is a key asset in a roster “reset” plan. Should he live up to expectations, there's a chance he could provide top-caliber goaltending in Columbus at a bargain price point for the last year or two of the contract.

The 6-foot-5, 196-pound netminder is from Novokuznetsk in Russia, which is the same hometown as former Blue Jackets star Sergei Bobrovsky. Tarasov’s athletic ability is thought to be on par with Bobrovsky's, and his larger frame helps him cover a lot of area.

Drafted by Columbus in the third round of the 2017 draft (No. 86 overall), Tarasov posted an impressive 2.40 goals-against average and .937 save percentage while going 0-2-0 in the first four NHL appearances (three starts) of his NHL career. He’s expected to man the net for the Cleveland Monsters in the American Hockey League next season, making his NHL salary, but another opportunity could be in store in Columbus if there’s an injury.

Tarasov could also push Korpisalo and Merzlikins for playing time throughout the season.

"It’s a little bit of security for him and little bit of a bet for us," Kekalainen said.

bhedger@dispatch.com

@BrianHedger

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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Daniil Tarasov signed by Columbus Blue Jackets to extension