COLUMBUS, Ohio — What Columbus Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen had called “a big piece of the puzzle” fell into place Monday when the club signed goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky to a two-year contract extension.

The 24-year-old Russian, recipient of the Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s top goalie this past season, could have become a restricted free agent this week.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed by the team. Bobrovsky was paid $1.750 million last season. The Columbus Dispatch reported that the new deal was for $5.625 million per year.