Blue Jackets Looking To Re-Sign Provorov To Specific Deal

The Columbus Blue Jackets have a good amount of work to do on their defense this summer. Not only is Ivan Provorov a UFA, Dante Fabbro and Jack Johnson are as well. Jordan Harris, who was acquired last year, is a RFA. That leaves just five of their d-men under contract for next season and a lot of room to upgrade.

Provorov played well this season and since being acquired by the Blue Jackets, but according to Aaron Portzline, the team is prioritizing a short-term deal rather than a long-term one for the veteran defenseman. The 28-year-old is coming off of a six-year, $6.75 million AAV deal. I expect the Blue Jackets to have already or to offer Provorov a three to four year deal if the report is correct.

With the weaker free agent class this season and the need for a top-4 defenseman around the league, offering shorter term for a player in his prime may not be the key to success in keeping Provorov with the team. While his contract offer by Columbus could be comparable to the contract Dmitry Orlov just ended with the Carolina Hurricanes, that doesn't make as much sense for Provorov due to his age.

The Blue Jackets arguably made the mistake of locking themselves into the Damon Severson contract for eight years and likely don't want to make a potential mistake again when Zach Werenski's contract expires in 2028 and Denton Mateychuk's expires in 2027. Provorov may be seen as a holdover until Mateychuk can solidify himself as an elite top-4 defenseman in Columbus.

I expect Provorov to make it to July 1 without a contract to see what's out there unless he is offered a high AAV for the fewer years in Columbus.