Jan 7, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Jake Christiansen (2) warms up before the game against the Pittsburgh Penguins at PPG Paints Arena. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

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Columbus Blue Jackets Secure Jake Christiansen with Two-Year Contract Extension

Defenseman Jake Christiansen Commits to Columbus Blue Jackets with New Two-Year Deal

The Blue Jackets have agreed to a two-year, $1.95MM contract extension with defenseman Jake Christiansen, as announced by the team on Friday. The agreement, which will hit the salary cap for $975K starting next season, secures his stay in Columbus until the 2026-27 season and removes him from this summer’s restricted free agent pool. Christiansen, 25, is registering full-time play on the Blue Jackets blue line this season for the first time. The two-time AHL All-Star has surpassed players such as Jordan Harris and Jack Johnson on the Columbus depth chart, participating in all 45 games this season in a bottom-pairing position.

Signed by the Jackets as an undrafted free agent from the WHL’s Everett Silvertips in 2020, Christiansen has consistently played alongside Damon Severson this season. The pair has surpassed their rivals with a score of 17-11 at even strength and holds a top team-high expected goals percentage of 56.1.

2️⃣ more years of #2!

We’ve signed defenseman Jake Christiansen to a two-year contract extension through the 2026-27 NHL season.

📝 https://t.co/bzZ7i4cUqj @RuoffMortgage | #CBJ pic.twitter.com/iaN1FS9Wtk
— Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) January 17, 2025

Although those figures are significant, Christiansen’s absence of direct point contributions and infrequent utilization restricted his earning capacity on his forthcoming contract. He has one goal and six assists for a total of seven points, but he doesn’t play a major role in the Jackets’ special teams.

Christiansen was a restricted free agent last summer and spent 10 days on the market before he committed to a two-way contract with a $400K guarantee to go back to Columbus. The minor-league system has been irrelevant, as he has stayed on the NHL roster throughout the year and earned his league minimum salary of $775K.

Also Read: Simon Nemec Voices Discontent with AHL Stint in Devils System

Christiansen needed to clear waivers to join the AHL at the season’s start, but after achieving a career-high 46 points in 62 games for Cleveland last season, the team was uncertain he would go unpicked when he passed through at the start of the 2023-24 season. Christiansen had the option to bring the Blue Jackets to arbitration this summer but has opted to secure an average raise of $200K for the next two years, even if circumstances deteriorate and he finds himself on waivers and returning to the minors.

His earnings consist of $950K for 2025-26 and $1MM for 2026-27, according to Aaron Portzline of The Athletic. He teams up with his partners Severson, Zach Werenski, and Erik Gudbranson as Columbus defenders signed for next season on a one-way contract.

The extension brings Christiansen to UFA eligibility in the summer of 2027. A one-year agreement would have provided Columbus another chance to negotiate with him as a restricted free agent.

He’s the second depth player this season with the Jackets to secure an extension after establishing or re-establishing himself as an NHL regular in recent days. Experienced winger Zach Aston-Reese signed a one-year, $775K extension on Monday after reappearing in Columbus as a regular in the bottom six.

Image Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

Columbus Blue Jackets

Jake Christiansen

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Anamika Shrivastava

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