Recent RotoWire Articles Featuring Mikko Koskinen
See More
Koskinen began the year as Edmonton's unquestioned No. 1 goaltender, but he lost significant playing time to Mike Smith as the year progressed and found himself benched by the time the playoffs rolled around. All told, Koskinen finished with a 13-13-0 record, a 3.17 GAA and an .899 save percentage, incomprehensible numbers for a goalie on a team which employs both Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. Koskinen has one year left on his deal with a cap hit of $4.5 million. Smith, who signed a new two-year deal this offseason, is going to open the 2021-22 campaign as the Oilers' starter and Koskinen will have to fight off the newly signed Alex Stalock for the backup role.
Koskinen compiled a solid 18-13-3 record with a 2.75 GAA, a .917 save percentage and one shutout in 38 games last year. He split time nearly evenly with Mike Smith, but it was Koskinen who had the hot hand at the end of the regular season. Heading into 2020-21, it's likely that arrangement between the two goalies will remain. Koskinen has the higher upside, but his lack of a workhorse role will limit him to second- or third-tier status in the fantasy game. The 32-year-old will likely start around half of the Oilers' games next year and could see a slight regression in his ratio stats.
Koskinen is entering the first year of a three-year contract that will pay him $4.5 million through 2021-22, so the Finnish netminder certainly has something to prove in 2019-20. He made 55 appearances a year ago, posting a 25-21-6 record with a 2.93 GAA and .906 save percentage. Now, a year removed from receiving the lion's share of starts, Koskinen is sure to face stiff competition from Mike Smith next season, with the most likely outcome being a platoon arrangement. Koskinen profiles as a decent No. 2 fantasy goalie, but he should not be relied upon too heavily.
Koskinen, 30, signed a one-year contract with the Oilers earlier this offseason and appears to have a legitimate shot to make the team as Cam Talbot's backup with Al Montoya being far from a roster lock after a shaky 2017-18 campaign. Last season, playing in the KHL, Koskinen appeared in 29 games, posting a GAA of 1.57 and a .937 save percentage. Those numbers were enough to convince Edmonton's front office to give him $2.5 million. The backup battle in Edmonton will be something to monitor closely once training camps open.
Koskinen still remains the property of the Islanders but is currently playing in the KHL. His chances of playing for New York is slim: the team went out and traded for Jaroslav Halak and signed Chad Johnson in free agency to back him up. He certainly won't play for the Isles this season and the smart money would bet that he probably will not in the future.
Koskinen had a solid season last year playing in Finland and may have had a shot to play for the Islanders if not for the re-signing of Evgeni Nabokov. With Rick DiPietro no longer with the organization and Kevin Poulin slated to backup Nabokov, Koskinen could at the very least earn a share of playing time with Bridgeport of the AHL.
Koskinen played in Finland last season but don't let that fool you, the only reason he wasn't in Bridgeport (AHL) is because the Isles have quite a few goaltending prospects in their system and haven't given up on Rick DiPietro yet. Whether or not you include DiPietro, Koskinen is still no better than fourth on the depth chart, behind Evgeni Nabokov, Kevin Poulin and Anders Nilsson. A talented youngster, Koskinen may need to remain in Europe once again to play everyday against decent competition.
Koskinen clearly wasn't ready for the NHL last season but was pressed into action due to the glut of injuries the Isles suffered in net. Even though his play was uneven, he did impress the Isles with poise, and showed enough potential for the team to believe he has a future with the club. The problem is the Isles have quite a few goaltending prospects and Koskinen may be not better than fourth on the depth chart.
The Islanders selected Koskinen 31st overall in the 2008 draft as a possible replacement for Rick DiPietro, but like DiPietro missed most of last season due to injury. Koskinen only played six games before suffering a hip injury. Though he is healthy now, the injury did cost him a year of development. Best case scenario is for Koskinen to make his NHL debut in 2011-12 but that is extremely optimistic.
The Islanders drafted Koskinen in the second round of the 2009 Entry Draft and he automatically became the team's top goalie prospect. He can cover a lot of space as he stands at about 6-foot-7, but definitely needs time to adjust to North American hockey. He will stay at Bridgeport for at least a year, if not a bit longer.
