Merzlikins was acquired from the Blue Jackets as a part of the Kirill Marchenko trade, and is reportedly not a part of the Maple Leafs' goaltending plans. They won't have to make a decision on him for roughly three months, as GM John Chayka said he'll need at least that much time as he continues to rehab from offseason shoulder surgery.
Merzlikins time in Columbus has come to an end after seven up-and-down seasons, after the team announced Monday that they had traded the goaltender (with 18% salary retained) alongside Miles Wood and Kirill Marchenko to Toronto for Emil Andrae, Matthew Knies, Steven Lorentz, and a 2027 2nd-round pick (SEA). After multiple trade requests, Merzlikins leaves Columbus second all-time in team wins behind his new counterpart, Sergei Bobrovsky. He is expected to start the season on the non-roster/injured list after offseason shoulder surgery and is without a timeline to return.
Merzlikins underwent shoulder surgery in the offseason and will begin the 2026-27 season on the Injured Non-Roster list with Columbus' season opener on October 1st vs. Buffalo. The 32-year-old appeared in 30 games last season while splitting time with Jet Greaves and posted a 14-11-3 record, 3.40 GAA and .883 SV%. Cam Talbot will serve as the Blue Jackets' No.2 netminder while Merzlikins is out.
The Blue Jackets are desperate to stay within playoff contention, but have lost four straight (0-3-1) and will hope for a better result on Thursday when they turn to Merzlikins to tend the twine against the Carolina Hurricanes. The 31-year-old Latvian goalie was solid in his previous outing, saving 33 of 36 shots (.917 SV%), but did not receive ample goal support in a 3-2 loss to the San Jose Sharks. Merzlikins has had an up-and-down season, but has allowed three or fewer goals in four straight games (2-1-1). The Blue Jackets enter Thursday's contest as +163 road underdogs against a Hurricanes team that defeated them 5-2 earlier this week.
After a brief stint of excellent play following Rick Bowness taking over as the Head Coach of the Blue Jackets, Merzlikins has returned to his now-predictable, less-than-stellar play. That said, the 31-year-old Latvian goalie has been on the right side of some unspectacular performances, winning five of his last seven starts (5-1-1) while posting a 2.66 GAA and .891 SV%. The Blue Jackets enter Thursday's contest as -112 road favourites against the Florida Panthers, whom they defeated 4-2 one week ago.
After a string of high-quality efforts in six starts heading into the Olympic break (5-1-0), posting an excellent 2.03 GAA and .925 SV%, Merzlikins has returned to predictably unreliable performance between the pipes, posting a dreadful 3.79 GAA and .850 SV% in three games (1-1-1) since returning from the league stoppage. Merzlikins and the Blue Jackets have a tough challenge ahead of them on Tuesday, entering the action as significant +208 road underdogs against a Tampa Bay Lightning team that scored 12 goals in their last two games (1-1-0).
Merzlikins allowed three goals on 22 shots (.864 SV%) in his return from the Olympic break, a 4-2 loss to the Boston Bruins, ending a three-game winning streak. That said, the 31-year-old Latvian goalie has been reliable since Rick Bowness took over as the Blue Jackets’ new Head Coach, posting a solid 2.19 GAA and .916 SV% in seven outings (5-2-0). The Blue Jackets enter Monday's contest as -119 road favourites against a New York Rangers team that has scored two or fewer goals in five of their last six games (1-4-1).
Merzlikins was relied upon heavily after Rick Bowness took over as Head Coach of the Columbus Blue Jackets, and he will return to the crease in their first game back from the Olympic break. The 31-year-old Latvian goalie was showcasing his most consistent goaltending in several seasons before the break, winning five of his last six outings (5-1-0), posting a tremendous 2.03 GAA and .924 SV%. The Blue Jackets enter Thursday's contest as slight -104 road underdogs against a Boston Bruins team that entered the league stoppage on a 4-0-3 run.
Merzlikins had a tough start to the season, but has settled in since the Blue Jackets made a coaching change. Overall, he's 11-8-1 with a 3.49 GAA and .888 SV% in 21 games. The last time he suited up for Latvia, he struggled, going 2-2-0 with a 4.80 GAA and .826 SV% at the 2024 World Championships.
The Blue Jackets are 9-1-0 in their last 10 games, coinciding with Rick Bowness taking over head coaching duties and improved play by Merzlikins between the pipes. Since the coaching change, the 31-year-old Latvian goalie is sporting a solid 2.49 GAA and .909 SV% in five games. The Blue Jackets enter Tuesday's contest as slight -107 road favourites against a struggling New Jersey Devils team that has lost three of its last four games (1-3-0).
The Blue Jackets' new Head Coach Rick Bowness continues to show his trust in Elvis Merzlikins, who will return to the crease for the fifth time in eight games since the coaching change. The 31-year-old Latvian goalie has also played better with his uptick in deployment, posting a 2.63 GAA and .907 SV% in his last four outings (3-1-0). The Blue Jackets enter the action on Friday as -147 road favourites against a Chicago Blackhawks team on a four-game losing streak (0-2-2).
The Blue Jackets' new Head Coach Rick Bowness continues to show his trust in Elvis Merzlikins, who will return to the crease for the fifth time in eight games since the coaching change. The 31-year-old Latvian goalie has also played better with his uptick in deployment, posting a 2.63 GAA and .907 SV% in his last four outings (3-1-0). The Blue Jackets enter the action on Friday as -147 road favourites against a Chicago Blackhawks team on a four-game losing streak (0-2-2).
Merzlikins has not played in over a week but has seen more action lately, after playing only three times in the previous month. The 31-year-old Merzlikins has played better since Rick Bowness took over as the Blue Jackets' new Head Coach, saving 64 of 70 shots (.914 SV%) in three games (2-1-0), but consistency has been a significant issue for the Latvian goalie. The Blue Jackets enter Wednesday's contest as -135 home favorites against a Philadelphia Flyers team that is coming off a 4-0 loss to the New York Islanders.
