Columbus Blue Jackets starting goaltender Elvis Merzlikins hasn't played a hockey game in two weeks, and his lack of ice time is the biggest question surrounding the lowly club approaching the middle of January.
Despite being a healthy scratch for four of the last five contests, Merzlikins confirmed he did not request a trade away from the organization.
“I love Columbus. I love these guys. I grew up here,” the Latvian said on Friday, per The Athletic's Aaron Portzline. “[But] I’m not a backup goaltender.”
Merzlikins is signed through the 2026-27 season in Ohio, and will make $5.4 million AAV for the next three seasons after this one. The 29-year-old is putting together a solid campaign on a bad Blue Jackets team, sporting a respectable 7-8-6 record with a .907 save percentage and 3.25 goals-against average.
So why isn't he playing? According to head coach Pascal Vincent, it's to get Russian Daniil Tarasov back between the pipes after he's been hampered by injuries in each of the last two seasons.
“We are looking to evaluate Daniil,” Vincent told Portzline. “I know, it’s a big question [about Merzlikins]. But Daniil hadn’t played in quite some time. We want to see what he’s got. We want to evaluate him. We believe he has the potential to be a No. 1, but that’s just what we believe. He has to prove it. That’s what we’re doing now, simple as that.”
Vincent also confirmed that Merzlikins wasn't being disciplined. Still, something needs to give, and according to Portzline, the two sides have agreed to find a “new scenario” for the goaltender.
Blue Jackets could have a new starting goalie
With the Blue Jackets in last in the Metropolitan Division, 15th in the Eastern Conference and with absolutely no hope of climbing back into a playoff spot, it makes sense to get Tarasov some game action.
“If you look at our team, where we are in the standings, that is the right time to do it,” Vincent explained. “If we were fighting for a playoff spot, that might be different. But right now, it’s where we’re at.”
Still, the bench boss knows Merzlikins is not thrilled with the decision.
“Well, he’s not happy,” said Vincent. “He wants to play. He’s a hockey player. Elvis has been a good goalie for us. But we need to evaluate Daniil.”
It looks like it could be the end of the road for Elvis Merzlikins and the Columbus Blue Jackets, especially with Tarasov and Spencer Martin both on the roster.
“Trading Merzlikins would not be easy, not with so many clubs hard against the NHL’s salary cap. Also, Merzlikins’ extended term — he has three years remaining after this one — could be a deterrent. Also, while he’s been a middle-of-the-pack goaltender this season, he has mostly struggled during the previous two seasons,” asserted Portzline.
It'll be intriguing to see which goaltender Vincent goes with on Saturday night when the Seattle Kraken are at Nationwide Arena.
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