Blue Jackets Sign Defenseman to Monster Extension

The Columbus Blue Jackets have signed defenseman Ivan Provorov to a seven-year deal with an annual cap hit of $8.5 million ($59.5 million total value), Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic reports.

Provorov, 28, scored seven goals and 33 points in 82 games with the Blue Jackets this season. He averaged 23:21 of ice time per game, the second-highest among Columbus skaters behind only Norris Trophy candidate Zach Werenski (26:45).

Perhaps Provorov's greatest ability is his availability, as he's played 82 games in each of the past three seasons and in six of nine seasons overall. He has 77 goals and 282 points in 696 games with the Philadelphia Flyers (2016-23) and the Blue Jackets (2023-25).

Provorov was scheduled to hit free agency on Tuesday and be one of the top defensemen on the market alongside Aaron Ekblad of the Florida Panthers and Vladislav Gavrikov of the Los Angeles Kings. With him now staying in Columbus, and Ekblad staying in Florida, the market for blue-liners has taken a significant hit.

The Blue Jackets, meanwhile, keep one of their top blue-liners around for the foreseeable future, but at a very steep price. Provorov just completed a six-year deal that paid him $6.75 million annually, and now receives a significant raise. Only time will tell if the Blue Jackets made the right decision.