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Ivan Provorov, Columbus Blue Jackets (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)

Blue Jackets Could Live to Regret Ivan Provorov Extension

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers | By William Espy | Last updated Jul 1, 2025 1:45 PM ET

Ivan Provorov is a good defenseman, there’s no questioning that. However, it’s easy to question whether he’s worth the $8.5 million cap hit for the next seven years that the Columbus Blue Jackets agreed to on Monday (June 30). The deal was finalized just before free agency opened on July 1, and the Blue Jackets will regret their decision.

General manager Don Waddell set out to improve the team’s defense this summer, and he tried, targeting both Noah Dobson (who was traded to the Montreal Canadiens) and Rasmus Andersson (Calgary Flames). But he came up short on both counts. Instead, desperation set in, and he circled back to his own pending free agents. He signed Dante Fabbro to a bargain at four years worth $16.5 million. However, his massive overpay for Provorov will rightfully lead to the fan base questioning the management team.

Provorov’s Questionable Contract

As Dom Luszczyszyn of The Athletic put it, “Provorov’s new contract is one of the most baffling contracts in recent memory and it feels almost impossible to spin this in any positive light” (from ‘NHL contract grades: Blue Jackets massively overpay Ivan Provorov in confounding 7-year deal’, The Athletic, June 30, 2025). While he is a steady defenseman who can eat minutes for head coach Dean Evason and contribute offensively consistently, he’s not a top-pairing defenseman – nor will he ever be in Columbus with Zach Werenski ahead of him – yet, he’s being paid like one.

Provorov’s new cap hit will put him in the ballpark of players such as Cale Makar, Miro Heiskanen and Moritz Seider. Although it’s well known that the salary cap will continue to rise, it’s not justifiable to put him in that type of company given his performance.

Blue Jackets Yet to Resolve Major Issue

Considering Waddell spent a lot of time working the trade market, trying to avoid paying Provorov this kind of money, he must have felt this deal was necessary to prevent the team from taking a step backward. Without Provorov on the second pairing, the Blue Jackets would undoubtedly be weaker defensively.

However, the team’s biggest issue last season was keeping the puck out of the net, so sticking with the status quo won’t help them resolve that problem. Considering they’ve already been held back by the Damon Severson deal, which has aged like milk to this point, management must stop committing large sums of money long-term on a defensive core that can’t keep the puck out of the net.

That said, when former general manager Jarmo Kekalainen signed Zach Werenski to his current contract in July 2021, many felt the same way. It seemed like an overpay for Columbus to keep a player who wanted to hit the market. But Kekalainen knew what the Michigan native could bring to the table, and Werenski ended up in Norris Trophy conversations this past season. With Provorov, though, we know what he brings to the table at this point. At 28 years old, we’re not going to see him turn into what the Philadelphia Flyers had hoped for when they drafted him seventh overall a decade ago, one pick ahead of Werenski.

While Provorov is a great player, it’s safe to predict that this new contract will age very poorly. He has the benefit of a rising salary cap, which will make it less painful as time goes on, but it doesn’t change the fact that it’s a massive overpay. The Blue Jackets may not be in cap trouble now, but when players like Adam Fantilli, Kent Johnson and Denton Mateychuk are ready for new contracts, that could change quickly. Waddell has shown time and again that he knows how to build a winning team, so although this move may be questionable, he may prove everyone wrong in the end.