Jet Greaves Asks for $7.5 Million: Will the Blue Jackets Reach an Agreement?

As the clock ticks down to a pivotal arbitration hearing on July 23, both the Columbus Blue Jackets and goalie Jet Greaves find themselves at a crossroads regarding his salary for the upcoming season. With the hearing looming, the stakes are high for both parties to reach an agreement.

Greaves, who filed for arbitration on July 5, is seeking a one-year deal worth $7.5 million. In contrast, the Blue Jackets have offered $2.8 million. The arbitration process requires both sides to adhere to the arbiter’s decision, which must be issued within 48 hours after the hearing concludes.

In choosing a one-year contract over the maximum two years, the Blue Jackets have ensured that Greaves, now 25, will not enter unrestricted free agency without compensation. Briefs submitted for the hearing on July 21 indicate a significant gap between the two sides, raising the potential for the arbiter to determine Greaves’ salary if an agreement isn’t reached beforehand.

The arbiter’s ruling can set Greaves’ salary at a minimum of 85% of his previous earnings, which amounted to $825,000 in the 2025-26 season, including a $25,000 signing bonus. This means the minimum salary he could receive is $701,250, but given Greaves’ breakout performance, it is expected he will earn much more.

Last season marked Greaves’ first full NHL campaign, where he emerged as the Blue Jackets’ top goalie, finishing with a solid 26-19-9 record, a 2.60 goals-against average, and a .908 save percentage. His two shutouts in 55 appearances placed him among the top goalies in the league, ranking fourth in save percentage, fifth in goals-against, and 11th in wins among those who played at least 3,000 minutes.

However, Greaves’ limited NHL experience and his stature at 6 feet and 188 pounds complicate negotiations, making it difficult to find comparable goalies for contract comparisons. This disparity likely contributes to the significant gap in salary expectations between Greaves and the Blue Jackets.

Despite the tight timeline, there remains a window for both sides to negotiate an extension prior to the hearing. The Blue Jackets have not gone through arbitration in their 25-year history, and they may prefer to avoid it this time around. A resolution is expected by July 25, as the team could walk away from an arbitration ruling exceeding $4,538,958, which would grant Greaves unrestricted free agency—a scenario that seems unlikely.

In addition to Greaves’ situation, the Blue Jackets are also focused on re-signing restricted free agents Adam Fantilli and Cole Sillinger, with Sillinger’s arbitration hearing scheduled for July 27. Fantilli, a first-time RFA, is anticipated to receive a significant pay increase as he enters his fourth season, while Sillinger is likely to see a modest raise from his current $2.25 million salary.

Note: This recap is an independently written summary based on publicly available reporting.