Flyers Trade Goaltender Ivan Fedotov to Columbus Blue Jackets
Columbus, OH & Philadelphia, PA - September 14, 2025 – The Columbus Blue Jackets have acquired goaltender Ivan Fedotov from the philadelphia Flyers in exchange for a 2026 fifth-round draft pick, both teams announced today.The move addresses a goaltending need for the Blue Jackets and clears a logjam for the Flyers.
Philadelphia entered the offseason wiht four goaltenders vying for NHL playing time: Ivan Fedotov, Samuel Ersson, Aleksei Kolosov, and newly signed Daniel Vladar. The Flyers signed Vladar to a two-year, $6.7MM contract in free agency to compete with Ersson for the starting role, making Fedotov expendable. By trading Fedotov, the Flyers eliminate what was considered thier worst-value contract among the four.
The Blue Jackets are hoping Fedotov can provide NHL-caliber goaltending depth. While Jet Greaves’ bid for a full-time role didn’t materialize,and Elvis Merzlikins remains in the mix,the team is banking on Fedotov’s strong overseas track record. He has a career .921 save percentage and 2.22 goals-against average in 133 KHL games, highlighted by a championship season in 2021-22 where he posted a .937 save percentage and 1.85 GAA in 22 playoff games,earning him league MVP and First Team All-Star honors.
Columbus, projected to have over $15.5MM in cap space by PuckPedia, can comfortably absorb Fedotov’s $3.0MM cap hit. Should he not make the NHL roster, his cap hit is sufficient to likely clear waivers, allowing him to serve as a third-string option in AHL Cleveland. Notably, Jet Greaves is no longer waiver-exempt, creating a potential challenge for Fedotov to earn a spot without risking losing Greaves. A three-goalie rotation is possible if Fedotov proves successful.
Financially, the blue Jackets will only pay $775K in actual dollars for Fedotov this season, as his base salary is at the league minimum and the Flyers have already paid his $2.5MM signing bonus.
Kolosov remains waiver-exempt for the Flyers, allowing them to possibly revert to a customary two-goalie system with Ersson and Vladar on the opening night roster.