To hear Elvis Merzlikins tell it, he hasn’t asked for a trade.
But the Columbus Blue Jackets have come to a mutual agreement with the 29-year-old goaltender that they will find him a “new scenario” — read: a trade — at some point moving forward, Merzlikins told reporters on Friday.
Merzlikins has a 7–8–6 record with a .907 save percentage this year. The Latvian keeper is in the second season of a five-year deal he signed with the Blue Jackets back in 2021.
“I just want to be treated as a No. 1,” Merzlikins said. “I believe I am a No. 1. It didn’t [get] to that point that I’m requesting, it went to point that both sides agreed.
“Now, I didn’t speak to anybody, obviously that’s not on me, that’s why I’m paying my agent,” Merzlikins continued. “Both sides agreed. Now, what’s going to happen, I have no idea. Again, if I get to play, I play. I’m going to give my best because the boys deserve giving the best. This is my family.
“I grew up here in the NHL, my career,” Merzlikins added. “All these players, to me, they’re my brothers. I have great memories with them together. But again, this is business and it’s not what I’m handling. I want to play. I’m not going to be a No. 3, I can assure you that.”
It may not be the easiest proposition for the Blue Jackets to move Merzlikins’ contract, which carries a $5.4 million cap hit through 2027 and includes a 10-team no-trade list.
Merzlikins has not played since December 29 against the Toronto Maple Leafs, when he made an early exit after the first period due to an illness.
Since then, Merzlikins has been on the shelf. He’s been regularly made a healthy scratch in favour of Spencer Martin and Daniil Tarasov, the latter of whom the Blue Jackets are evaluating to see if he can be a future No. 1.
Merzlikins has had plenty of ups and downs in his NHL career. The Blue Jackets originally drafted him all the way back in 2014 (third round, No. 76 overall) and he finally made his debut with the team in 2019–20 after emerging as a star goaltender with HC Lugano in the Swiss National League.
After going 13–9–8 with a .923 save percentage as a rookie while running in tandem with Joonas Korpisalo, Merzlikins looked to be the potential heir apparent to the departed Sergei Bobrovsky. But the Blue Jackets have missed the playoffs in each of the last three seasons and will do so again this year. Jarmo Kekalainen and John Davidson are squarely under the microscope in Columbus.
And now, Merzlikins appears to be headed out the door. The Riga product is 62–70–28 with a .906 save percentage in 173 career games with the Blue Jackets; he’s also appeared in two playoff contests.
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