The Columbus Blue Jackets have won the bidding for 20-year old goaltender Matiss Kivlenieks, signing him to a three-year entry-level contract. Kivlenieks played for the Sioux City Musketeers of the USHL this season and was named both Player and Goaltender of the Year. The Latvian goaltender had committed to Minnesota State University, but will now enter the Blue Jackets system instead.
For a team that is in no short supply of good young goaltenders, Kivlenieks just adds to their pipeline. As Anton Forsberg and Joonas Korpisalo continue to fight for NHL time as the backup to Sergei Bobrovsky, Kivlenieks will try to find his way in the minor leagues. The goaltender put up a .932 save percentage and 1.85 GAA in the USHL, leading the league in both categories. Oscar Dansk, another young netminder played this season in Sweden but returned to North America after his season finished, and will need a new contract this summer.
There is a possibility that the Blue Jackets lose one of their three current young goaltenders in the expansion draft, which would leave room for Kivlenieks to start in the AHL. Otherwise, he may actually need to head to the ECHL to start the year as there won’t be enough spots for all the talent Columbus has collected. Either way, this adds to an impressive group that allows the team to deal from strength if they so choose. As goaltenders develop it is tough to get a read on whether they’ll make it at the highest level, so bringing in several highly-touted prospects to see who is left is often a good strategy. The Blue Jackets are well prepared for a possible departure of Bobrovsky in two years, when his current contract ends and he hits unrestricted free agency at the age of 30.