As the Columbus Blue Jackets search for wins on a more consistent basis after this season, the focus is almost certainly going to be on their goaltending situation. Inconsistency has been the only constant with Elvis Merzlikins and Daniil Tarasov manning the crease over the last few seasons, something that has to change if this team is going to find success.
While the guys in the NHL are struggling, there are some interesting prospects in the system. Jet Greaves will likely be one of the goaltenders in Columbus next season. His contract turns into a one-way deal, and he's definitely earned his opportunity.
After him are longer-term projects such as Melvin Strahl and Evan Gardner. Both are several years away. Strahl will head to the NCAA next season (Michigan State), while Gardner will return to the WHL's Saskatoon Blades. There is a wild card in the system, however: Sergei Ivanov is a bit of a forgotten entity, but he could be closer to the NHL than we may think.
Originally picked by the Jackets in the 5th round (#138 overall) at the 2022 NHL Draft, Ivanov has been honing his talents in his native Russia. His rights are owned by SKA St Petersburg, however he has been loaned out to other teams in each of the last two seasons. This year, he tended the nets for HC Sochi, who finished with the third worst record in the league.
Their poor record doesn't appear to be Ivanov's fault. In 38 games played, he posted a record of 11-21-3, with a .911% save percentage and a 3.00 goals against average. Simple math tells us that he faced an average of around 30 shots per game, for a team that generated only 153 goals of its own in 68 games played.
I'll admit that while I did catch some of his games this season, I'm not huge into watching the KHL. Those numbers make it pretty obvious that what I saw in my limited viewings is true for their entire campaign: Sochi spent a lot of time without the puck this season. Still, he was able to hold his own and post a pretty solid save percentage.
What's his timeline?
Now, onto the bits that could be important for the Blue Jackets. Ivanov is 21 years old, and he has not yet signed a contract to remain in Russia for next season. His current deal expires May 31st, so while we are still in wait and see mode here; there is a chance we could see him in North America next season.
The problem that could arise here: it's not uncommon for Russian born players to have European clauses in their contracts. This means that Ivanov could sign with the Jackets, but refuse to play in the AHL, and return to Europe with any reassignment.
With that and the team's current goaltending situation in mind, I'm not entirely confident that we'll see Ivanov over here next season, unless he's willing to spend a year in the AHL. I don't see the Blue Jackets promising him NHL time with Jet Greaves already on track to fill some responsibilities in Columbus.
It is possible that the team could roll out two undersized rookies in the crease next season. But, I think it's more likely that the team either keeps Elvis Merzlikins around, or finds a different suitable veteran to share the crease and mentor Greaves.
How good can Sergei Ivanov be?
Taking away the fact that he's undersized, based solely on ability, I think Ivanov is the best goaltender in the Blue Jackets' system. There are some unknowns here because he's playing overseas, but he is a very good puck stopper who could be a #1 goaltender in the NHL:
I think Columbus is pretty excited about Sergei Ivanov's development so far even though he's small. Somebody have a go with Pleshkov... might be excellent. pic.twitter.com/keiiEbbnG1
— Byron Bader (@ByronMBader) January 27, 2025
His story will be one to watch for sure, as the organization looks to overhaul its goaltending situation this summer. Ivanov coming over could change the franchise's plans in the crease, in a bigger way than many of us expect.