Merzlikins Confirms Blue Jackets Are Working To Trade Him

There have been rumblings for a while that Elvis Merzlikins is going to be moved. This is all speculation though as the situation in Columbus is bad and the team continues to lose season after season. Merzlikins doesn't have the best contract, but he has proven that he can handle starts and is a solid goalie. At the very least, he should be starting half of the games and he needs a better team in front of him.

Things haven't worked out for Columbus or Merzlikins, so something is being done. Aaron Portzline said that Merzlikins stated he hasn't requested a trade, but that he and the Blue Jackets have agreed to find a new scenario for him.

Merzlikins said, "I love Columbus. I love these guys. I grew up here," also saying, "I'm not a backup goaltender." With three goalies on the team (Merzlikins, Spencer Martin, Daniil Tarasov), Merzlikins' playing time has been cut a ton.

While he was playing a lot near the start of the season and doing well, the Blue Jackets have just barely played him recently. He hasn't seen the ice in the last five games and has four games played over the team's last 15. Merzlikins has a .907 SV% on the season. On a team as bad as Columbus with a 13-20-9 record, that is impressive. It will be interesting to see where he moves, what the return is, and how much the Blue Jackets are going to have to eat out of his contract. There are teams actively looking for goalie help.