The Columbus Blue Jackets pulled off somewhat of a head-scratching trade on Sunday. The Jackets landed netminder Ivan Fedotov from division rivals, the Philadelphia Flyers.
Columbus sent a 2026 sixth-round pick to Philly in exchange for Fedotov. The deal is interesting to say the least. Fedotov has been among the league’s worst goalies the last couple of seasons. His 3.34 GAA and .873 SV% in his first 29 NHL games have been less-than-encouraging.
So, why would the Jackets make this deal?
If we look at it from the Flyers’ perspective, they had four goalies in their depth chart. Starter Samuel Ersson looks to get the lion’s share in the crease this season. Dan Vladar was signed to provide veteran stability for Ersson.
Meanwhile, Alexei Kolosov remains a prospect for the Flyers. So, he could get a look at some point this season, as well. That situation points to Fedotov being nothing more than a cap dump for the Flyers.
Now, when teams dump contracts, they generally add a sweetener for the team taking on the contract. But that didn’t happen this time. The loss of a sixth-rounder isn’t anything to cry over, but it does raise some concerns about where Blue Jackets GM Don Waddell is going with the move.
Perhaps there’s something in Fedotov that Waddell and Jackets have seen that the Flyers have overlooked. Maybe it’s just a question of organizational depth. Maybe it’s just a sign of how weak the goaltending market is at the moment.
Blue Jackets bury Fedotov’s cap hit
According to PuckPedia, Ivan Fedotov does not register in the Blue Jackets’ active roster. He appears as “buried” in the team’s cap situation.
Since the Jackets don’t play to have Fedotov with the big club, they have effectively assigned him to the AHL. Of course, he’s waivers eligible, but it’s doubtful anyone will pick him up. So, he’ll head down to the AHL when the season officially begins.
That being said, the Blue Jackets can’t write off Fedotov’s entire cap hit. They get a $1.15 million break, leaving the team on the hook for $2.13 million of his $3.28 million cap charge.
At this point, adding Fedotov’s contract is a luxury the Blue Jackets can afford. Even with the practically dead cap space in Fedotov’s contract, the club still has over $13 million in available cap space.
That’s nothing to sneeze at. It gives the Jackets plenty of dry powder for a bigger move down the road. But until such a trade or signing materializes, the Blue Jackets will be content with having Fedotov as their third-string goalie.
Fans will begin to wonder at what point the Blue Jackets may look into a more reliable third-string option in the crease. But it’s worth bearing in mind that the goalie market is bone-dry at the moment. No one is moving quality netminders.
So, the Jackets were down to picking up a free agent goalie like James Reimer or Ilya Samsonov, or trading for someone like Fedotov.
It’s a weird move, to be certain. But it’s one made out of necessity and not choice.