Thanks to some excellent reporting by a friend of the 5th Line, Mark Scheig, an interesting piece to the goaltending puzzle here in Columbus has finally become clearer. Per a conversation that Mark had over text with Don Waddell, the expectation is that well-regarded Blue Jackets Russian goaltending prospect Sergei Ivanov will take his talents to North America following the 2025-2026 KHL season, when his contract expires with SKA St. Petersburg.
Sergei has been a bit of a fan favorite among those CBJ fans who have paid close attention to his development in the MHL, VHL and KHL following his selection in the fifth round of the 2022 NHL Draft by Columbus at pick 138 overall.