Merzlikins was absent from Monday's practice due to a lower-body injury, Brian Hedger of The Columbus Dispatch reports.
With both Joonas Korpisalo (not injury related) and Daniil Tarasov (groin) dealing with issues, losing Merzlikins for even just one game would seriously stretch the Jackets' organizational depth between the pipes. If all three players are out ahead of Tuesday's matchup with Tampa Bay, the team will likely turn to Jean-Francois Berube or Cameron Johnson.