The Columbus Blue Jackets are paying a bit of a premium for their projected second defensive pairing, to say the least.
Assuming head coach Dean Evason keeps Zach Werenski and Dante Fabbro together, the top pairing will carry a combined average annual value (AAV) of $13.71 million. The projected second pairing will be paid more than $1 million more than that, as Ivan Provorov’s new contract and Damon Severson’s existing contract combine for an AAV of $14.75 million.
A Controversial Contract
Provorov’s new contract was immediately criticized by national media and fans alike, with Dom Luszczyszyn of The Athletic stating, “On paper, Provorov’s new contract is one of the most baffling contracts in recent memory, and it feels almost impossible to spin this in any positive light. For almost any team, this would be a back-breaking deal that would be difficult to make up for with other savvy bets. This is an immediate albatross that Provorov will have an extremely difficult time living up to” (from ‘NHL contract grades: Blue Jackets massively overpay Ivan Provorov in confounding 7-year deal,’ The Athletic, June 30, 2025).
Undoubtedly, a seven-year contract for a 28-year-old defenseman is always a bit risky. But add in the fact that Provorov is seemingly getting paid quite a bit more than his market value, and it makes this deal questionable, to say the least. He’s a reliable defenseman who has some offensive ability, but he’s far from his projected potential from early in his career. He’s a decent second-pairing player, but a number around $6.5 to $7 million would’ve been much more reasonable based on his track record.
Severson, on the other hand, is in the third year of his deal, and to this point, he hasn’t lived up to expectations either, and at 31 years of age, it’s safe to say that what you see is what you get with him. He has decent offensive production for his role, but he has quite a few lapses of judgment, which lead to odd-man rushes the other way or just high-quality chances for the opposition.
Overall, neither is overly reliable in their own end and can cause just as many issues for the team as they add to the team.
It’s clear that standing pat with his current defensive group wasn’t general manager Don Waddell’s first option. He tried to add Noah Dobson from the New York Islanders, which didn’t come to fruition, and he pursued almost every lead he could, but was unable to find another option. As a result, he gave Provorov a contract that, in Luszczyszyn’s words, is an “immediate albatross.”
Needing a Step Forward
Given their performance last season, the Blue Jackets have quite a few more expectations on them than they had 12 months ago. While Provorov’s 33 points and ability to play in all 82 games are beneficial, he’s going to have to improve considerably to justify his current contract and help the team take that next step forward. As for Severson, his 25 points are somewhat beneficial, but so far in his tenure, there has been little that he’s done to justify his current cap hit.
Related: Questions Regarding Blue Jackets’ Captain Jenner Will Be Answered in 2025-26
Now that the Blue Jackets’ second pairing is being paid more than the top pair, they’re certainly going to need to play like it. At this stage, they’re not going to outperform Werenski, who is quickly becoming a superstar. With that being said, though, they’re going to need to make more of a positive impact; otherwise, those contracts are going to become a hindrance sooner or later, even with the rising salary cap.
At this point, cap space isn’t a major issue, but as key players like Adam Fantilli, Cole Sillinger, and Kirill Marchenko become eligible for extensions over the next couple of seasons, it may become an issue sooner rather than later.
