- Jet Greaves asked for a $7.5 million cap hit while the Blue Jackets filed at $2.8 million, a $4.7 million gap
- His arbitration hearing is set for Thursday in Toronto, with Cole Sillinger’s to follow on July 27
- Read below for the numbers, Greaves’ breakout season and why a deal could still get done first
Jet Greaves and the Columbus Blue Jackets are miles apart on what a starting goalie is worth.
The arbitration filings came in Tuesday, and the split is enormous. Greaves asked for a $7.5 million cap hit. Columbus countered at $2.8 million. That leaves a $4.7 million gap between the two sides, per Elliotte Friedman.
Friedman broke down the numbers Tuesday morning:
He also flagged that opening bids are strategy, not final asks. “Remember these are strategic, but that is quite a gap,” Friedman wrote.
We laid out where each side landed:
The hearing is set for Thursday in Toronto. Once it starts, there is no settlement, so both sides have until then to find a middle number. Cole Sillinger filed too, and his hearing is booked for July 27.
Greaves earned the leverage. The 25-year-old grabbed the Columbus net in 2025-26 and never gave it back, going 26-19-6 with a .908 save percentage, a 2.60 goals against average and two shutouts in 55 games.
A $7.5 million ask is aggressive for a goalie with one full starting season, and arbitrators rarely land that high. It still sets an anchor. Columbus has plenty else to sort out this summer, including bracing for a possible Fantilli offer sheet.
Jeff Marek expects Greaves to stay out of arbitration, which points to a deal before Thursday. The Blue Jackets hold the edge either way. Greaves cannot reach unrestricted free agency until after 2028-29, so even an arbitrator’s ruling lets Columbus keep him on a one or two-year deal.
