The Columbus Blue Jackets organization has signed goaltender Zach Sawchenko to a one-year contract, Vancouver hockey insider Rick Dhaliwal reported Saturday evening.
Sawchenko, 26, spent the entirety of the 2023-24 season with the American Hockey League’s Abbotsford Canucks, although he seldom saw game action. The 6’1″ goaltender appeared in just six games with Abbotsford during the regular season, posting a 4-1-0 record and a .924 save percentage.
However, with Arturs Silovs joining the NHL Canucks during their run to the second round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs, Sawchenko was given more opportunities with Abbotsford in the spring. He skated in six playoff contests with Abbotsford, going 2-4 with an .898 save percentage.
Dhaliwal did not provide an update on what Sawchenko will earn in the Blue Jackets, but it’s probably safe to assume that the Calgary-born goaltender will play on a two-way contract (meaning he’ll earn different amounts in the AHL and NHL). His previous deal with the Canucks was a two-way contract worth $775,000 in the NHL and $200,000 in Abbotsford.
An undrafted player, Sawchenko signed his first NHL contract with the San Jose Sharks in 2021 after spending the previous two seasons in their minor-league system. Before that, Sawchenko spent parts of four seasons with the WHL’s Moose Jaw Warriors before joining the University of Alberta Golden Bears.
Sawchenko eventually made his NHL debut with the Sharks in the 2021-22 season, going 1-2-1 with a .901 save percentage over seven appearances with the club. He spent the entirety of the following season with the AHL’s Chicago Wolves, posting a 17-18-5 record and an .895 save percentage in 41 games.
The Canucks currently have four goaltenders signed to contracts for the 2024-25 season, with a fifth soon to come once Silovs agrees to a new deal. Between Thatcher Demko, Silovs, Nikita Tolopilo, Ty Young, and the newly-signed Jiri Patera, Vancouver’s organizational goaltending depth is in a good state.
