Columbus Blue Jackets News

The Blue Jackets have alternated goalies in their first two games of the season, a trend that will continue in game three on Monday against the New Jersey Devils, with Greaves tending the twine. Greaves was solid in his only outing this season, saving 30 of 32 shots (.938 SV%) in a 2-1 losing effort to the Nashville Predators. The 24-year-old netminder was excellent in limited action last season, posting a 1.91 GAA and .938 SV% in 11 appearances (7-2-2), and has an opportunity to play his way into a starting role with the Blue Jackets. Columbus enters Monday's contest as +113 home underdogs against New Jersey.

Jet Greaves was between the pipes for the Blue Jackets' 2-1 opening night loss to the Nashville Predators, but the team will turn to Merzlikins for their second game on Saturday against the Minnesota Wild. Minnesota had an impressive showing in its first game of the season, defeating the St. Louis Blues 5-0. The 31-year-old Merzlikins has struggled over the past few seasons, including posting a 3.18 GAA and .892 SV% in 53 games (26-21-5) in 2024-25, and now faces the pressure of Greaves looming in his shadow in 2025-26.

After several poor seasons by Elvis Merzlikins, the Blue Jackets will turn to Greaves in their season-opening matchup on Thursday against the Nashville Predators. Greaves joined the Blue Jackets late in the 2024-25 season and was nearly unbeatable, posting a 1.91 GAA and .938 SV% in 11 games (7-2-2), ultimately falling just short of a playoff berth. If Greaves can establish himself early, he could quickly become the undisputed starting goalie in Columbus. The Blue Jackets enter Thursday's action as +102 road underdogs against the Predators.

Despite being absent from practice on Tuesday due to personal matters, Marchenko will suit up for the season-opening contest on Thursday against the Nashville Predators. The 25-year-old Marchenko had a breakout 2024-25 campaign, posting 74 points (31G / 43A) in 79 contests. He is expected to start the 2025-26 season on a line with Sean Monahan and Dmitri Voronkov.

Mateychuk is expected to miss at least the first week of training camp with a groin injury, but the Blue Jackets haven't provided a firm timeline on when they expect him to begin practicing. With Mateychuk banged up, Brenden Smith, who is in camp on a PTO, was getting a look alongside Erik Gudbranson on Thursday.

After two forgettable seasons in Philadelphia, Ivan Fedotov will head to Columbus to occupy their third goaltender role after the Blue Jackets traded a 2026 6th-round pick for the goalie on Sunday. The 28-year-old towering netminder (6'7") struggled in his second season in Philadelphia, posting an ugly 3.15 GAA, .880 SV% alongside his 6-13-4 record.

After three semi-successful seasons on Long Island, Hudson Fasching has signed with Columbus on a one-year, two-way contract to provide some offensive depth for the Blue Jackets. The 30-year-old winger struggled with the Islanders in 2024-25, putting up just two goals and four points in 43 games played. He is expected to battle for a bottom-six role in Columbus and will hope to return to the 19-point form we witnessed across 49 games in 2022-23.

Pyyhtia will return for a fourth season in Columbus after signing a one-year, two-way contract extension on Wednesday. The 23-year-old left-winger was Columbus's 2020 4th-round pick (114th overall) and appeared in 47 games with the Blue Jackets in 2024-25, picking up career highs with four goals, seven points and 32 SOG. He is expected to play a depth role for the Blue Jackets for the upcoming season.

Mayo spent the last two and a half seasons in Henderson (AHL) but has signed a one-year, two-way contract with Columbus on Wednesday. The 28-year-old defenseman has 12 points and 82 career NHL games to his name, but hasn't appeared in the big leagues since 2022-23. He is expected to start 2025-26 in the minors, where he had eight goals, 19 points and 86 PIMs with Henderson (AHL) last season.

Lundestrom was a first-round pick of the Anaheim Ducks in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft. The 25-year-old forward spent the first seven seasons of his NHL career with the Anaheim Ducks and will have a change of scenery in 2025-26, joining the Columbus Blue Jackets on a two-year contract worth $1.3 million. He has 84 points (35G / 49A) in 337 career games.

Jaros has played 94 career NHL games but spent the previous four seasons playing in Europe in the KHL. The 29-year-old defenseman was a fifth-round pick of the Ottawa Senators in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft and returns to North America on a two-way, one-year deal with the Blue Jackets.

With the selection of free-agent defensemen dwindling, the Blue Jackets acted quickly and signed Provorov to a massive seven-year extension worth $8.5 million AAV. The 28-year-old Provorov was excellent in 2024-25, his second season with the Blue Jackets, averaging 23:21 of time on ice, scoring 33 points (7G, 26A) in 82 games. He ranked in the top 30 amongst all defensemen last season with 30 even-strength points.

July 1st free agency will be without one of its bigger defensive targets after Columbus signed Dante Fabbro to a four-year, $16.5 million contract extension on Sunday. The 27-year-old first came to Columbus off waivers in November of 2024 and excelled almost immediately, putting up nine goals, 26 points and a +23 plus/minus in 62 games played while averaging 21:39 TOI.

Wood's contract certainly isn't the best, as he has four more years at $2.5M AAV, but he's a physical bottom-6 winger that will help Columbus replace some of the wingers they let walk in free agency. Most recently, Wood missed 45 games in 2024-25, finishing the season with just four goals and four assists in 37 games.

After six and a half years in Boston, Coyle was traded to the Avalanche at the deadline last year, and only scored two goals with 11 assists (13 points) in 19 games. WIth the Avalanche pressed up against the salary cap, a third-line centre making $5.25M was a luxury they could not afford. With Columbus, Coyle will settle in behind Sean Monahan and Adam Fantilli on the depth chart and could make Cole Sillinger expendable in a trade this summer.

Columbus acquired a depth forward on Thursday after trading for Branden Gaunce from Minnesota for AHL forward Cameron Butler. Gaunce, 31, spent most of 2024-25 as a healthy scratch for the Wild, which led to him only putting up an assist and a -4 plus/minus in 12 games played. He returns to familiar territory in Columbus, where he spent three seasons between 2021-2024 and had 12 points in 59 games played.