Merzlikins is expected to patrol the visiting crease in Florida on Thursday, according to Jeff Svoboda of the Blue Jackets' official site.
Merzlikins saw his three-game winning streak come to an end Tuesday in Tampa Bay, as he gave up five goals on 39 shots in a 6-2 loss. The 30-year-old netminder is 22-15-4 with a 3.02 GAA and an .896 save percentage over 41 contests in 2024-25. The Panthers are generating 3.26 goals per game this season, seventh in the NHL.