Kaapo Kahkonen is now on waivers after the Jets decided to go with Eric Comrie as their backup goalie. This move comes after Kahkonen signed a one-year, $1 million contract with Winnipeg during the offseason.
Many thought it would be Comrie, not Kahkonen, who would end up on waivers. Last season, Comrie struggled with a .874 save percentage in 10 games for the Sabres. He signed a two-year deal worth $825K annually for his fourth time with the Jets. But when Connor Hellebuyck had to step away briefly for personal reasons, the Jets kept all three goalies on their roster for opening night.
Hellebuyck returned just in time to shut out the Oilers in their season opener while Comrie sat on the bench and Kahkonen watched from afar .
Jets’ Goalie Decision:
Choosing to waive Kahkonen instead of Comrie gives Winnipeg an extra $175K in cap space. Yet, it’s hard to believe no team will claim him off waivers. If he doesn’t find a new home and ends up back on waivers, his $1M salary can be buried in the minors. Fans might think this is quite a gamble by Winnipeg! After all, last year he had a .898 save percentage over 37 games despite playing mostly with the struggling Sharks.
Kahkonen was originally picked by Minnesota in 2014’s fourth round. Throughout his career spanning teams like Wild, Sharks, and Devils, he’s posted an average .899 save percentage along with four shutouts and a record of 49-67-15 across 139 games.
What do you think about this decision? Do you agree or disagree?
