Wanna blog? Start your own hockey blog with My HockeyBuzz. Register for free today!
 

Blue Jackets make a pair of trades

January 23, 2018, 12:16 PM ET [4 Comments]
Paul Berthelot
Columbus Blue Jackets Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
The Blue Jackets were busy yesterday making not one, but two trades. The first trade saw the Jackets move AHL defencemen John Ramage to the Arizona Coyotes for future considerations.




This was a bit of a curious move as Ramage has been a solid AHL veteran for the Cleveland Monsters. He isn’t an offensive defencemen by any means, but he chipped in. More importantly he brought that veteran presence, wearing an A this season and last.

On Twitter I suggested that this might be a move to clear a contract space, giving the team more flexibility to add as we approach the deadline. The Jackets however had other plans and quickly filled that extra contract spot, trading future considerations to Los Angeles for goaltender Jeff Zatkoff.




Zatkoff, 30, is an AHL veteran having played 208 AHL games. He’s been a decent goalie in the AHL putting up a .915 save percentage. He’s had a taste of the NHL, getting 48 games between the Kings and Pittsburgh. In those 48 games he’s had a .908 save percentage. Zatkoff was brought in as insurance in case something was to happen to Sergei Bobrovsky or Joonas Korpisalo. The Jackets are light at the goal-tending position should something happen at the NHL level. The only other goalie they could bring up before this was AHL rookie Matiss Kivlenieks.

The Monsters needed a goalie as well as Brad Thiessen has been dealing with an injury. Zatkoff won’t play a ton but he is a solid veteran who brings some winning pedigree to the room. Zatkoff won a Stanley Cup with the Penguins in 2015-16. Zatkoff only played 14 games that season, but he did get himself into two playoff games. Even if he wasn’t a big part of that team, just being around that atmosphere he knows what it takes and can bring that experience to the kids in the AHL.

Zatkoff potentially could be a player who rides the bus up and down between Cleveland and Columbus. The Jackets when they have been off on a weekend or have an extended break have been sending Korpisalo down to the AHL to get him some extra games. Per league rules the NHL club, even if they don’t have games, must have two goalies on its roster at all times. The team has been bringing up Kivlenieks, which has been fine, but it isn’t ideal. You don’t want to mess with Kivlenieks too much, he's the starter in the AHL and probably in his best interest to leave him down in the AHL and be around that team. Zatkoff is a player who you can easily bring up and down. All that veteran leadership he brings to the AHL he can bring to the NHL as well. Even if he comes up and just participates in practice the way Kivlenieks did, he can provide some wisdom to a young team that hasn’t made it out of the first round.

You can follow me on Twitter @PaulBerthelot
Join the Discussion: » 4 Comments » Post New Comment
More from Paul Berthelot
» Blue Jackets extend John Tortorella
» Blue Jackets extend Hockey Operations Staff
» Thoughts on the Blue Jackets Traverse City roster
» How the Blue Jackets can get more national coverage
» Just how bad is the Blue Jackets prospect system?