Elvis Merzlikins clarifies that he has requested a trade from the Columbus Blue Jackets
One of the Columbus Blue Jackets’ goaltenders is explaining why he is ready to move on.
Following a shootout win over the Vancouver Canucks on Monday, Elvis Merzlikins shed some light on the ongoing saga between him and the organization.
“After my last interview, everybody knows I requested for (a) trade,” Merzlikins said. “Everyone was still here, playing for me and blocking the shots for me. This was awesome. I really appreciate [my teammates]. It wasn’t an easy game for me, and they made me feel easier.”
The 29-year-old goaltender made 27 saves, before stopping all four shots he faced in the shootout to grab a 4-3 win against the best team in the NHL. It was Merzlikins’ first start since Dec. 29.
The Latvian netminder had been a healthy scratch for the Blue Jackets’ last three games, taking a seat while Daniil Tarasov and Spencer Martin have been seeing the action.
On Friday, Merzlikins told the media that the team and him had agreed upon a “new scenario.” The following day, he reiterated to reporters that he was very clear about his comments, and that would talk about the situation later.
“I was hot. I have nothing to hide,” Merzlikins said about his previous comments. “I was hot and I was pulled off. Now I’m trying to rebuild my hotness when I had it,” he said. “I worked as much as I could in the practices. … It wasn’t easy in practice, so it was really important to win this game. I’m happy I can build that momentum.”
Like the rest of the Blue Jackets, it has been a rough 2023-24 season for Merzlikins. In 24 games, he has gone 8-8-6, with a 3.22 goals-against average and .906 save percentage. His numbers are a little better than last season, where Merzlikins went 7-18-2 with a 4.23 GAA and .876 SV%.
In 174 career NHL games, Merzlikins is 63-70-28 with a 3.15 GAA, .906 SV% and nine shutouts.
Columbus (14-21-9) is still last in the Metropolitan Division, nine points back of the seventh-place Washington Capitals, and 12 back of the last Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference.