Jet Greaves didn’t have to sit in an arbitration room after all, but the hours leading up to that point still carried plenty of tension. A little more than a week ago, the Columbus Blue Jackets and their goaltender got a three-year, $15-million deal done just before a hearing was scheduled, locking Greaves in at an average annual value of $5 million through the 2028-29 season.
That agreement came after reports of a nearly $5-million gap in the sides’ salary numbers, which made the process feel a lot closer to a hearing than a handshake. On Thursday’s episode of The Sheet, Jeff Marek asked Greaves what those final hours were like and whether he was bracing for the kind of exchange that can get uncomfortable fast.
Greaves said the situation stood out because there really wasn’t anything to compare it to. He described knowing that everything would be resolved within 24 to 48 hours, while still having no idea how it would actually unfold.
“It is such a unique situation, really. There’s nothing that I can really compare it to … where you know in the next 24 to 48 hours, everything is going to be sorted out, but just not knowing at all, really, how it’s going to play out.”
He also said he leaned on the people around him to stay steady through the process.
“It’s super unique, but I was fortunate throughout all this process, just to have really supportive people around me that have helped to keep me grounded, and to keep my perspective in the right place.”
And despite the possibility of a hearing looming, Greaves said the talks never turned bitter. In his view, the Blue Jackets handled the negotiation in a way that kept things calm and professional right up to the end.
“I was grateful (with) the way the negotiations went with our team. It was super respectful throughout, even as we got close to the hearing.
Everything from the Blue Jackets’ side, I felt like it was positive on both sides. I don’t think there was any strain on the relationship from either side at all.”
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