The Columbus Blue Jackets are taking a chance on Ivan Fedotov, hoping the Russian goalie can bounce back from a rough first NHL season with the Philadelphia Flyers.
It’s been quite a journey for the 28-year-old netminder. Before even stepping onto NHL ice, he had to deal with mandatory military service back in Russia and a messy contract situation involving the Flyers and his former KHL team.
He finally made it to North America in April 2024, playing just three games for Philadelphia before signing a two-year deal worth $3.275 million per season.
But things didn’t go as planned.
Fedotov struggled badly in his first NHL season, posting a disappointing .880 save percentage and 3.15 goals-against average. In nearly half of his starts, he let in goals on more than 15% of the shots he faced.
The numbers are especially concerning since he actually had the easiest workload among Flyers goalies, according to advanced stats.
But there’s reason for hope in Columbus. Before his military service threw things off track, Fedotov was one of Russia’s most promising goalies. At 6-foot-7 and 214 pounds, he’s got the size that NHL teams love.
His KHL numbers tell a different story than his NHL struggles. He was practically unbeatable in Russia, with a .921 save percentage and 2.22 goals-against average over 133 games. His crowning achievement came in 2021-22, when he led CSKA Moscow to a championship with some incredible playoff stats: .937 save percentage and just 1.85 goals against.
The Blue Jackets are viewing Fedotov as an insurance policy. Their starter Elvis Merzlikins has been shaky lately, and young Jet Greaves is still unproven as a full-time NHL goalie.
There’s a catch, though. If Fedotov can’t beat out either Merzlikins or Greaves, he’ll likely end up in the minors. His high salary actually makes this easier, since other teams probably wouldn’t claim him on waivers.
For the Flyers, the trade clears up a crowded crease. They’ve got Samuel Ersson, new signing Daniel Vladar, and prospect Aleksei Kolosov all in the mix.
The money side is interesting too. While Fedotov’s cap hit is over $3 million, he’ll only cost Columbus $775,000 in actual salary. Philadelphia already paid his $2.5 million signing bonus.
