The goaltending position is the most unique spot on the ice, so it naturally follows the development path is a little bit different for prospects between the pipes.
According to Hockey Reference, just seven of the 103 goalies to play in the NHL in 2024-25 were age 22 or younger as of Feb. 1. Only two of those netminders played more than 10 games, as 2020 first-round pick Yaroslav Askarov’s 13 games played with San Jose led the way for the 22-and-under crowd between the pipes. Digging even further, the average age of the 10 goalies who played the most NHL games a season ago? 28.2 years old.
Considering NHL players are eligible for the draft at age 18, that means it’s generally at least a five-year development path for goalies to become NHL contributors, and even longer than that to reach the top of the profession.
With that in mind, it’s a good thing to have plenty of options, and the Blue Jackets have just that. Columbus is set to graduate Jet Greaves to a full-time role with the squad this upcoming season, while the Blue Jackets have selected a goalie with NHL potential in each of the past four drafts.
This week, with the 2025 NHL Draft now a month in the rearview mirror and the upcoming season on the horizon, we're breaking down where things stand in the CBJ pipeline, giving fans a look at what’s still to come in the future. After diving into the team's forwards and defensemen to begin the week, we’re looking at the CBJ goalies to finish the series today.
To be listed as a prospect, players must be under 25 years old and played less than 25 games at the NHL level.
At The Top Level
The Blue Jackets entered this offseason with a bit of a conundrum, as they had three goaltenders under one-way contracts for the upcoming season in Elvis Merzlikins, Daniil Tarasov and Greaves. That changed in the days leading up to the draft, as the team dealt Tarasov to Florida, paving the way for a potential duo of Merzlikins and Greaves in net for the upcoming season. Merzlikins will be going into his seventh NHL season – he'd be just the third CBJ netminder to reach that mark with the club, joining Joonas Korpisalo (eight years) and Sergei Bobrovsky (seven) – while Greaves’ highlight-grabbing finish to the regular season showed he’s ready for a full-time look at the highest level. While the Blue Jackets continue to look for a goalie who can swing between the NHL and AHL, it appears they have their top two going into the campaign.
Top Prospect: Pyotr Andreyanov
The Blue Jackets didn’t exactly shock the hockey world when they selected Andreyanov with the 20th overall pick in the 2025 draft, but it was a bit of a surprise that he was the first goalie off the board in what was considered a strong class of netminders. It’s not hard to see why, though, as Andreyanov dominated in Russia’s junior league a year ago – going 23-6-6 with a 1.75 GAA and .942 save percentage in the CSKA Moskva system – and has drawn comparisons to a young Bobrovsky. Standing 6-2, Andreyanov has excellent skating ability, isn’t afraid to make an aggressive play on the puck, and performs with the confidence that most of the big-time goalies have. He’s signed to stay in Russia for the coming five seasons, at which point he’ll be 23 years old and hopefully ready for NHL action. If he develops the way the Blue Jackets think he can, he would be worth the wait.
Who's Next: Jet Greaves
It’s fair to say no one can forget the run that Greaves went on to conclude the 2024-25 season. Called up to the Blue Jackets with the team in must-win mode, that’s all he did, backstopping Columbus to five consecutive victories to end the year while allowing just four goals and posting a .975 save percentage. It would be asking a lot for Greaves to repeat that level of play consistently, but he has shown the potential to be a standout goalie at the NHL level, posting a 2.62 GAA and .924 save percentage in 21 career games over the past three seasons. Cleveland’s all-time leader in wins between the pipes, Greaves has developed over the past four seasons with the Monsters, leaning on a tremendous work ethic and even-keel personality to keep getting better each campaign. While listed at 6-0, he has tremendous skating ability, stays square to shooters, boasts one of the most impressive gloves in the game and rarely panics in net, using anticipation to make tough saves look easy. Now 24 years old, Greaves will get a consistent shot to test his game in the NHL this upcoming season.
Keep An Eye On: Sergei Ivanov
If the Blue Jackets have a type, it’s smaller, athletic puck stoppers who have the ability to stay with plays rather than relying on sheer size to get the job done. Ivanov is another in that category, as the 5-11 Russian is slept on by some because of his height but has done the most important thing the job asks – making the save – at a high level throughout his career. The 2022 fifth-round pick has spent the majority of the past two seasons in the KHL, loaned by his SKA St. Petersburg squad to two of the league’s less-competitive squads – Admiral and Sochi – but still posting a save percentage above .910 at both stops despite a combined 19-38-6 record. Still under contract with SKA for one more season, the 21-year-old Ivanov has shown he has what it takes to battle and win games without ideal circumstances, and he could have a promising future ahead of him.
The Future
Columbus also has drafted or signed three other goalies one who remain in the pipeline, who are listed in alphabetical order.
Evan Gardner (2024 second-round pick) could easily have been listed in the “Keep An Eye On” category as he’s posted two straight strong seasons with Saskatoon of the WHL. “The Gardfather” has excellent mobility and battles in the net, which has helped him compile a 44-18-7 record and .917 save percentage with the Blades; he’ll return to the squad this upcoming campaign and could be on Canada's World Juniors squad. ... Nolan Lalonde (free agent signee) saw a lot of the OHL in his four major junior seasons, playing for four different franchises in his time there. The 21-year-old was inked to a contract after a strong training camp with the Jackets in 2022, and he’s expected to make his pro debut this season. ... Melvin Strahl (2023 fifth-round pick) was born in Sweden but has come over to North America, spending last season with Youngstown (USHL) and heading to Michigan State for the upcoming season. The 6-3 goalie led the league with 33 wins a season ago and will pair with top prospect Trey Augustine in East Lansing.
