Blue Jackets GM on Bobrovsky extension: 'He's going to be one of the top goalies in this league'

Columbus Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen believes in Sergei Bobrovsky, and by extension the core group of players he's assembled and committed to over the past year.

It's a group that also includes Ryan Johansen, Brandon Dubinsky and Nick Foligno - all of whom have signed lucrative contracts over the past 12 months.

"Obviously you want to make sure that your core stays in place," Kekalainen told reporters in discussing Bobrovsky's four-year, $29.7-million extension Friday. "I keep saying this all the time, but I also keep saying that I want to make sure the core keeps getting better and improving, and these are the types of players that we believe will do that."

It's a big deal for the Blue Jackets that they're even able to get high-end players to commit to remaining in the NHL's lone Ohioan outpost. That's something that hasn't proven easy for the fledgling franchise during its short history.

For Kekalainen, Bobrovsky's the picture of commitment and maturity that he's looking for in his players.

"Bob's a great example of a guy that really puts in the work every day, how he prepares for practice how he prepares for every game," Kekalainen said.  "He's a good example in the locker room, on and off the ice, the way he is as a professional."

The contract handed out to Bobrovsky is a substantial one, and will make the Russian-born netminder the second highest paid goalie in hockey by annual average contract value - behind only Henrik Lundqvist of the New York Rangers.

Kekalainen isn't worried though. The Blue Jackets executive expressed confidence in his belief that Bobrovsky is a good bet to provide his club with elite-level puck stopping for the duration of the deal.

"We believe he's only going to improve," Kekalainen said. "Ultimately it's up to the player to prove that he's worth the contract that he gets. That's the way we operate ... We believe with his hard work and dedication that he's going to be one of the top goalies in this league for a long-time."

It's actually a decent bet. Over the past three years Bobrovsky ranks second among NHL goaltenders who have started at least 100 games in save percentage - behind only Boston's Tuukka Rask. At 5-on-5, Bobrovsky ranks third in even-strength save percentage over the past four years - behind only Rask and Lundqvist. 

Perhaps most importantly for the Blue Jackets is that they managed to avoid the common pitfall of committing term to a goaltender. Goalie performance is volatile from year to year and general managers traditionally struggle to properly evaluate talent (just ask Mike Gillis, Garth Snow or Dean Lombardi). 

So if Bobrovsky's $7.4 million annual average value seems a bit rich on first blush, it's worth noting that his performance over the past handful of seasons has been consistent and elite. It's worth a team modestly overpaying a bluechip young goaltender if it allows them to avoid committing to five years or more of term.