The Columbus Blue Jackets acquired goaltender Ivan Fedotov from the Philadelphia Flyers for a 2026 sixth-round draft pick. The 6-foot-7 Russian goaltender struggled in his first NHL season. He recorded a 6-13-4 record, a 3.15 goals-against average (GAA), and a .880 save percentage (SV%) for a Flyers club that finished tied for the fourth-worst record in the 2024-25 season. In 29 career NHL games, Fedotov is 6-14-5 with a 3.29 GAA and an .874 SV% as he transitioned to the North American-style game.
“Ivan has great size, is athletic for a big goaltender, and will provide our club with additional depth at the position,” general manager Don Waddell told the Blue Jackets website. “That has been a priority for us during the offseason, and this trade accomplishes that.”
Fedotov, 28, arrived in the NHL following several seasons in Russia’s Kontinental Hockey League (KHL). He garnered worldwide attention by backstopping the Russian Olympic Committee to a silver medal at the 2022 Olympic Games with a 4-2-0 record, a 1.61 GAA, and a .943 SV% over six games.
Fedotov joins netminders Elvis Merzlikins and Jet Greaves during Blue Jackets training camp next week. Merzlikins, 31, recorded a 26-21-5 record with a 3.14 GAA and a .892 SV% last season. His campaign ended five games earlier than anticipated after he suffered a concussion in an April 2025 loss to the Ottawa Senators. Greaves, 24, finished the 2024-25 campaign with a 7-2-2 record, a 1.99 GAA, and a .938 SV% as the Blue Jackets fell two points shy of a playoff spot.
Even with Columbus having some bright prospects in net, there was no available help coming to the Blue Jackets before today’s trade. Pyotr Andreyanov and Sergei Ivanov are signed to KHL contracts for the 2024-25 season, while Melvin Strahl made his North American debut for the Youngstown Phantoms in the United States Hockey League (USHL) last season.
