Jet Greaves Avoids Arbitration, Signs 3-Year, $15M Deal With Blue Jackets

The Columbus Blue Jackets have settled their first major RFA situation of the offseason. It happened right before they were supposed to meet with an arbitrator in Toronto.

At the last minute, the Blue Jackets agreed to a three-year, $15 million deal with goaltender Jet Greaves. The new contract will make him a UFA when it expires. News of the settlement was first reported by Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.

Greaves elected to go to arbitration which eliminated the possibility that a team could offer sheet him. He submitted a number of $7.5 million while the team turned in a number of $2.8 million.

The two sides found common ground in the middle as to be expected in cases like this. The Blue Jackets wanted a slightly longer term and Greaves wanted a raise. In this case, both sides got a little bit of what they wanted.

Greaves turned in a good season in 2025-26 that allowed him to earn a significant raise. His 26 wins and .908 save percentage kept the Blue Jackets in the playoff race until the very end. He was also one of the better goaltenders all season in some advanced metrics including goals saved above expected.

Greaves can now focus on resuming his role as the clear number-one goaltender with the Blue Jackets. The team can now turn their attention to two other RFA situations of note including Cole Sillinger who has an arbitration hearing set for next week.

Meanwhile, the Blue Jackets’ biggest RFA Adam Fantilli is still being worked on. With a little more clarity in the cap space situation, the team can now focus on trying to get these important players signed. But make no mistake, the league is watching this unfold given that an offer sheet is still possible for Fantilli if things drag on for too long.

All in all, Thursday morning’s settlement is a win for both sides. GM Don Waddell and the Blue Jackets got term and a fair number while Greaves got his payday. The fact remains that the Blue Jackets and Waddell have never entered an arbitration hearing even though this one came down to the wire.