Blue Jackets Sign Goalie Sergei Ivanov to Entry-Level Deal

On Wednesday, General Manager Don Waddell announced that the Columbus Blue Jackets have signed 22-year-old goalie prospect Sergei Ivanov to a two-year, entry-level deal that will keep him with the organization until the end of the 2027-28 campaign.

Ivanov, who turned 22 in April, was selected by the Blue Jackets in the fifth round, 138^th overall, in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. He has been playing in the Kontinental Hockey League (KHL) for several seasons, including a loan spell to Admiral Vladivostok and a second loan to HC Sochi. He has 110 career appearances in the KHL and 26 in the Russian second-tier league, making him an experienced netminder despite his young age.

In the 2025-26 season, Ivanov posted a solid .928 save percentage across 29 games with SKA St. Petersburg, including 13 wins and three shutouts, alternating starts with 23-year-old, undrafted goalie Artemi Pleshkov. The duo is expected to be SKA’s tandem this season as well, with Ivanov being assigned back to the KHL to hone his skills and gain more experience before crossing the ocean for the 2027-28 campaign.

“We are thrilled to sign Sergei to an entry-level contract,” Waddell told NHL.com. “He possesses great quickness and agility, along with sound positional play, and has performed exceptionally well as a very young goaltender in the KHL over the past four seasons.”

Ivanov is expected to fight for a spot with the Blue Jackets in the second year of his deal. By then, Columbus’ crease should look quite different, with Elvis Merzlikins’ contract expiring next June.