Columbus Blue Jackets claim goaltender off waivers

The Columbus Blue Jackets have claimed goaltender Spencer Martin off of waivers from the Vancouver Canucks.

The Canucks had Martin, 28, on waivers as their goaltending tandem seems set in stone for the season barring any injury. Thatcher Demko was always going to be the de facto starter for Vancouver, but the recent acquisition of Casey DeSmith from the Montreal Canadiens meant that Martin’s odds of cracking the NHL roster were slim. It was a decision that the Canucks seemed to have their mind made up on before training camp began, as Martin didn’t even get into a game during the preseason before being placed on waivers.

Martin managed to get somewhat consistent playing time in the NHL for the first time in his career in 2022-23. In 29 regular-season games, he had an 11-15-1 record with an .871% save percentage and -14.83 5v5 goals saved above expected, with the latter stat being the fifth worst in the league last season.

Martin also got into 16 games with the Abbotsford Canucks in the AHL, where he had a 7-7-2 record, a .916 save percentage and one shutout. He played four playoff games for them as well, where he had a 2-2 record, a .929 save percentage and one shutout as Abbotsford was eliminated in the Pacific Division Semifinals by the Calgary Wranglers.

Martin was a former third-round pick of the Colorado Avalanche in 2013, with the Avs being the only other team he’s played NHL games with so far in his career. He’s entering the final year of a two-year deal with a $762,500 cap hit, and is set to become an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.

The Blue Jackets will look to bounce back from a 25-48-9 season that saw them finish with the second-worst record in the league. They will hope that Martin can provide some insurance depth in the crease beyond Elvis Merzlikins and Daniil Tarasov this season.