Agent Quiets Trade Talk Around Bruins Goalie
Joonas Korpisalo has not asked out of Boston — and his agent wants to put that idea to rest.
Despite renewed speculation tied to the Bruins’ recent moves in net, Korpisalo’s camp insists there has been no trade request.
“There is no truth to that,” said agent Markus Lehto, adding that Korpisalo “loves it in Boston,” as transcribed by James Murphy of RG.org.
Trade chatter picked up recently following the Bruins’ decision to reup Michael DiPietro to a two-year, one-way deal in June. The 25-year-old DiPietro is coming off a breakout campaign in Providence, where he posted a .927 save percentage, 2.05 goals-against average and earned AHL Goaltender of the Year honors.
His strong showing, combined with Brandon Bussi’s solid, if less dominant, .907 save percentage over 33 AHL starts, gives Boston plenty of depth in net. That has also helped fuel trade speculation, particularly in light of Korpisalo’s end-of-season comments about seeking more playing time.
At the time, the 30-year-old made it clear he was dissatisfied with serving primarily as a backup and planned to compete for a larger workload. Still, that public frustration has not led to any formal request for a trade.
Korpisalo still has three years left on his deal, which pays $3 million annually and includes a 10-team no-trade clause. The veteran started 27 games last season with an .893 save percentage and three shutouts, a slight uptick from his .890 the year prior.
Boston seems intent on keeping its options open, regardless of whether a shakeup in net actually happens.
For now, Korpisalo remains part of the plan and he will not be the one initiating any change.