Blue Jackets’ Jet Greaves Due a Big Extension Following Stellar 2025-26 Season

The Columbus Blue Jackets have found their goaltender of the future, seemingly in the form of a young, budding star, Jet Greaves. Following a season where Greaves was dominant and owned the crease in almost every big game, the Blue Jackets are expected to make the restricted free agent a huge focal point of the future of the roster.

Greaves was not only a massive factor in net for Columbus all season, but also just finished up a fantastic showing at the IIHF World Championship, where he appeared in eight games for Team Canada, and had a save percentage (SV%) of .919 and a goals-against average of 1.88. Absolutely dominating numbers for Greaves.

Greaves has proven his worth now on the world stage, as well as performing extremely well in consecutive seasons for the Blue Jackets. This past season with Columbus, he had a 2.60 GAA and .908 SV%, which were outstanding considering where the team ranked in opposing offensive chances, which was well towards the top in almost all categories.

He also ranked ninth in the league in goals saved above expected at 16.5 goals. A stat that again shows just how often his team left him out to dry, and he bailed them out time and time again. Greaves should be due for a number that would put him towards the top yearly average for goaltenders, and it could make a lot of sense for the Blue Jackets to add some term to it, to even out the salary cap hit it would create.

However, with the Blue Jackets currently entering the summer free agency period with the fifth-most salary cap space available, it is their job to take care of their own.

Terms of the Contract

If Greaves wanted to be greedy, he likely could. The Blue Jackets would be hard-pressed to try and find a goalie that is better than him on the open market, and beyond that, it would make things rather difficult for the front office to have so many moving pieces on a team that is spending money to win now.

As a 25-year-old entering the 2026-27 season, he is going to be widely considered in the prime of a professional athlete’s career, which means he should only be getting better. To crack the top five in average annual value for a goaltender contract, he would need to be making $8.5 million, on par with Thatcher Demko and Connor Hellebuyck, ranking fifth in AAV.

I think a deal close to that would be on par for Greaves to stick around in Columbus. Something along the lines of seven years, $8.75 million AAV, for a total of $61.25 million would be something appetizing to both sides.

Final #CBJ player stats from the Worlds:

Mathieu Olivier (United States): 8 GP, 2-3-5, 21 SOG, 14:56 TOI

Jet Greaves (Canada): 8 GP, 6-2-0, 1.88 GAA, .920 SV%

Denton Mateychuk (Canada): 10 GP, 2-3-5, 9 SOG, +7, 11:24 TOI

— Jeff Svoboda (@JacketsInsider) May 31, 2026

He has earned the respect of the world and made himself a known commodity across NHL circles, and in turn, Columbus needs to pay for him to stay; otherwise, he will likely make a large amount of money elsewhere.

It would not surprise me if Greaves asked for more money or had suitors in the offer sheet side of things, allowing the Blue Jackets to match a bigger offer. Whatever the number is, they should be more than okay matching it, and making him a Blue Jacket for a long time.

The open market will be a little quieter this offseason, but if Greaves were to leave, he could be a big splash free agent somewhere outside Columbus. Free agency opens at 12 P.M. ET on July 1. It should be fun, and hopefully, money will be spent in Columbus.