Merzlikins is expected to miss 4-6 months to begin the 2026-27 regular season while recovering from a shoulder injury, per Luke Fox of Sportsnet.
Less than 24 hours after Merzlikins was traded to the Maple Leafs, a timetable for his return to action has been provided. The 32-year-old backstop had an up and down season in 2025-26, where he posted a 14-11-3 record, a 3.39 GAA and an .883 save percentage across 30 regular-season outings. He won't be rushed into action, as the Leafs new goaltender tandem of Sergei Bobrovsky and Anthony Stolarz are still expected to handle the majority of reps between the pipes this upcoming season. However, when Merzlikins is ready to return, he's the clear No. 3 option in Toronto's organization and could still see some playing time at the NHL level if he isn't sent down to AHL Toronto.