Player News

• Blue Jackets' Elvis Merzlikins: Can't handle Jets

  2D ago • By RotoWire

  Merzlikins stopped 38 of 44 shots in Friday's 6-2 loss to the Jets. While the Blue Jackets have proved some doubters wrong early on, the Jets' relentless offense was too much for Merzlikins to handle Friday. He had won his last two starts, including a shutout over the Islanders on Wednesday. The 30-year-old is now 2-3-0 with a 2.86 GAA and a .907 save percentage over five starts this season. Merzlikins will likely get Saturday off with Daniil Tarasov expected to start on the road against the Capitals. Merzlikins is likely to start two of three games during the Blue Jackets' swing through California next week.

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• Blue Jackets' Elvis Merzlikins: Between pipes Friday

  2D ago • By RotoWire

  Merzlikins will tend the twine in Friday's home game against the Jets, Jeff Svoboda of the Blue Jackets' official site reports. Merzlikins is riding a two-game winning streak during which he has given up just one goal on 58 shots (.983 save percentage). While that streak does include a win over the Oilers, Friday's matchup will likely be the 30-year-old backstop's toughest test of the season, as he squares off with a Winnipeg team that is scoring a league-high 4.60 goals per game. With a back-to-back on the schedule, look for Daniil Tarasov to guard the cage on the road versus Washington on Saturday.

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• Blue Jackets' Elvis Merzlikins: Blanks Isles on Wednesday

  3D ago • By RotoWire

  Merzlikins made 26 saves in Wednesday's 2-0 win over the Islanders. It's the first shutout of the season for Merzlikins, and after a few rough years the 30-year-old netminder may be slowly regaining his confidence while working behind the tighter defensive structure of new head coach Dean Evason. Merzlikins has won two straight starts, allowing just one goal on 58 shots, and he's building a case to break out of a timeshare with Daniil Tarasov and reclaim the No. 1 job for the Blue Jackets.

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• Blue Jackets' Elvis Merzlikins: Set to start Wednesday

  4D ago • By RotoWire

  Merzlikins is expected to start in Wednesday's home game against the Islanders, per Mark Scheig of The Hockey Writers. Merzlikins is getting the opportunity to start in consecutive games after stopping 31 of 32 shots en route to a 6-1 victory over Edmonton on Monday. He's in a good position to build off that recent success against the Islanders, who are tied for 30th offensively with just 2.33 goals per game. Merzlikins has a record of 1-2-0 with a 2.76 GAA and a .900 save percentage across three outings overall in 2024-25.

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• Blue Jackets' Elvis Merzlikins: Collects first win of season

  5D ago • By RotoWire

  Merzlikins made 31 saves in Monday's 6-1 win over the Oilers. The 30-year-old goalie nearly came away with a shutout as well as his first win of the season, but Mattias Ekholm snuck home a power-play tally inside the final minute of the third period. It was Merzlikins' first action since Oct. 15, as Daniil Tarasov has taken over the top spot in the Columbus crease in the early going, but the duo could slip back into a timeshare if Elvis keeps performing well.

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