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Blue Jackets goalies have much to prove

Columbus Blue Jackets v New York Islanders

of the Columbus Blue Jackets of the New York Islanders at the Nassau Coliseum on November 24, 2010 in Uniondale, New York.

Bruce Bennett

Barring the far-fetched notion of acquiring Roberto Luongo, the Columbus Blue Jackets’ go-to goalie will have a lot to prove.

Depending upon who grabs the No. 1 job, that guy might even need to save his career.

If Sergei Bobrovsky grabs the starting gig as many expect, he’ll hope to match (or improve) upon his solid rookie season and forget about everything that came after.

Keeping Steve Mason around might just come down to how expensive a buyout might be, but if he manages to avoid an AHL demotion, he’ll aim to save his career.

(If nothing else, Mason should wear properly proportioned pads next season. Baby steps.)

Wildcards

It would be surprising if Allen York elbows his way into the picture, yet he managed an impressive .920 save percentage in the small sample size of 11 appearances last season.

There have been at least some rumors of a Jonathan Bernier trade - even after they grabbed Bobrovsky. For all the drooling scouting reports, Steve Bernier’s brother has a way to go before he justifies the hype.
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Interestingly enough, all four of these goalies are in the last year of their contracts. Whoever grabs the top job has plenty to gain in 2012-13, then.

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