The Columbus Blue Jackets made it no secret they were looking to add a goalie.
Sunday, they did just that.
The team has traded a sixth-round pick to the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for goaltender Ivan Fedotov.
President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Don Waddell said numerous times this offseason that the Blue Jackets were looking for depth at goalie.
"Ivan has great size, is athletic for a big goaltender and will provide our club with additional depth at the position," said Waddell. "That has been a priority for us during the offseason and this trade accomplishes that."
After debuting with the Flyers during the 2023-24 season and playing in three games, the 28-year-old Fedotov played in 26 games during the 2024-25 campaign. He posted a 6-13-4 record, a 3.15 goals against average, and an .880 save percentage.
It was considered the rookie season for the 6'7", 215lb Russian netminder.
| Goals Allowed | Number of Games |
|---|---|
| 0 | 0 |
| 1 | 5 |
| 2 | 4 |
| 3 | 4 |
| 4 | 7 |
| 5+ | 3 |
Of his 24 starts, Fedotov allowed just one goal five times and two or less goals in four additional starts, but also allowed four or more goals in 10 of those games, a signal of inconsistency.
He is yet to post a shutout at the NHL level.
As part of the trade, the Blue Jackets are taking on a $3.275 million dollar cap hit. That said, Fedotov is owed just the $775,000 league minimum in base salary.
The team felt a need for a third NHL-caliber goalie all summer. While Elvis Merlzlikins and Jet Greaves are likely penciled in as the 1-2 combination in Columbus — in whichever order — nobody else in the organization has true NHL experience in the event of an injury or poor play. The Blue Jackets traded goalie pending restricted free agent Daniil Tarasov to the Florida Panthers just before the draft after a woeful 2024-25 season.
To play in Cleveland with the AHL's Monsters, which is Fedotov's likely destination, he will need to clear waivers. But any team claiming him would take on the same cap hit as the Blue Jackets, making that a less-than-likely scenario.
Fedotov is in the final season of his contract and will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season.
