Columbus Blue Jackets' Tarasov Misses Chance to Be Long-Term Solution – Hockey Writers – Columbus Blue Jackets

For years, Daniil Tarasov was regarded as the Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender of the future. Now it is clear, he missed that opportunity.

The Blue Jackets have always struggled to develop quality goals. The one exception is Florida Panthers netminder Sergei Bobrovsky as he has taken a big step forward in Columbus but some of that may be due to his time with the Philadelphia Flyers as well.

Steve Mason, the only player in league history to win the Calder Memorial Trophy as the NHL's rookie of the year, is a prime example of a missed opportunity. The list goes on with Anton Forsberg, Oscar Dansk, Joonas Korpisalo, and even current goalkeeper Elvis Merzlikins. None of them lived up to their expectations, and now it seems that another name is joining the growing group: Daniil Tarasov.

Tarasov's Early Doubts

When the Blue Jackets drafted Tarasov in the third round of the 2017 NHL Draft, there was some doubt about him but it wasn't centered on his skill level. Experts were concerned that he might not be able to stay healthy, and it might stunt his growth. He missed his entire senior year due to injury, and some teams think he could be an ongoing problem.

It's starting to look like those naysayers may have been right, as Tarasov has struggled to stay healthy throughout his NHL career.

As time goes on, Tarasov has yet to play more than 28 games in a single season, which he accomplished in the 2022-23 season. After moving to North America for the 2020-21 season, he showed some signs of promise but they were short-lived and statistically, he never lived up to his long sample size.

What's next for Tarasov?

A few months ago, there was still a belief that Tarasov would be the next big thing for the Blue Jackets. He then went on to have his best North American season in 2023-24, putting the thought in the minds of many that he could surpass Merzlikins and become the starting goalkeeper this season. It wasn't like that. So far, he has a .857 save percentage and a goals-against average of 4.26 through nine games. His best performance came against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Oct. 22, where he stopped 26 of 28 shots but was a flash in the pan in an otherwise disappointing season.

Despite Merzlikins' struggles, Tarasov has been awful and now it seems the new management team prefers to roll with Merzlikins and Jet Greaves instead. Tarasov hasn't played in the last two weeks, and while none of the goaltenders have been good on their own, they've been better.

Going forward, it appears that the best-case scenario for Tarasov's career would be a late-season breakout, similar to what Forsberg did with the Ottawa Senators in the 2021-22 season.

If Tarasov is going to do that, it seems unlikely that it will happen in Columbus. While Greaves shouldn't be expected to be the Blue Jackets' long-term goaltender, he appears to be the most likely option at this point.

Related: Dante Fabbro's Green Jackets Play His Extra Way

With Tarasov hitting restricted free agency this summer, Don Waddell will have to decide whether or not it's wise to continue investing in the Russian goaltender's future. If he thinks that's no longer the case, the Blue Jackets' general manager may choose not to buy a qualifying offer.

Tarasov's future is pretty much up in the air right now, but if he doesn't change things soon, it wouldn't be too surprising to see him leave Columbus when his contract expires at the end of the season.