The Columbus Blue Jackets and goaltender Elvis Merzlikins are expected to part ways in the near future. Although there is mixed information out there at this point regarding a trade request from the player, it’s time for both sides to go in a different direction.
The Latvian goaltender has made it clear he feels he’s a starting goalie, and doesn’t want to be a backup which limits the destinations he can go. His contract restricts that list even further, as not many can fit him in under the salary cap. Let’s take a look at a few organizations that could make sense as potential destinations for him.
Ottawa Senators
If the Ottawa Senators are looking to improve their goaltending, which they certainly should be, there could be a familiar face coming back to Columbus in return. Joonas Korpisalo has struggled in his first season north of the border, and former Senators general manager Pierre Dorion signed the Finnish netminder to a five-year contract on July 2, 2023. Although his $4 million cap hit will be a tough one to swallow for four seasons after this one, the Blue Jackets organization is familiar with him and Ottawa would need to move him out in order to justify bringing in another high-cost goaltender.
In fact, both of Ottawa’s top goaltenders are former Blue Jackets as they’ve been running with a tandem of Korpisalo and Anton Forsberg. Both of them are currently sub-.900 in save percentage (SV%). It’s certainly not ideal for the Blue Jackets to turn back on their decision less than 12 months after trading Korpisalo to the Los Angeles Kings at last year’s deadline, but if they want to make a deal with Ottawa it may be necessary.
For Merzlikins, this puts him on an underperforming team with subpar goaltending where he can not only be a starting goalie, but he can certainly turn himself into a household name around the NHL if he performs at a high level and helps them right the ship. With that being said, playing for any Canadian market brings an abundance of pressure. Although he’s faced some pressure with the media and fans in recent seasons, it’ll be nothing compared to what he could have to deal with if things go badly in Ottawa.
New Jersey Devils
Trading within a division isn’t typically ideal, but it’s far from rare in the modern NHL. The New Jersey Devils are a bright up-and-coming team who have been legitimately let down by their goaltending and an injury to key defenseman Dougie Hamilton. With Hamilton out indefinitely, this likely isn’t going to be the season that they make their mark on the NHL, but they’re close. As a result, it would make more sense for them to acquire a goaltender with term rather than one of the many rentals that will flood the market.
Goaltenders who are performing at an acceptable level and have term are rarely moved. While Merzlikins hasn’t lived up to his cap hit, he’s certainly improved this season and a change of scenery will only make him even better. For the money to work, the Blue Jackets will have to get quite a bit back and if it’s a goaltender it’ll certainly be Vitek Vanecek. There would still be a discrepancy there though, so another player would have to leave New Jersey as well for it to work. Sending Merzlikins to the Devils would be difficult to pull off, but it could be one of the best destinations for the player.
Edmonton Oilers
This one is less of a given than it was a couple of months ago because the Edmonton Oilers have been on a roll as of late to put it lightly. They’re currently in the middle of a 12-game winning streak and have quickly climbed up the standings. Part of the reason they’ve been more successful lately can be attributed to improved goaltending. Stuart Skinner has found his game after a very slow start to the season. Given the pressure on Oilers management to win the Stanley Cup as soon as possible though, some insurance certainly wouldn’t hurt them. Unlike the other teams mentioned, there’s not a clear goaltender who can come back as part of the return. Skinner is certainly part of their long-term plans, and Calvin Pickard is a decent depth option in case of injury.
Term could certainly drive the Oilers away from Merzlikins, as they’re going to need quite a bit of space to sign some of their core players in the fairly near future but he could give them a strong one-two punch between the pipes. Although the Latvian goaltender would prefer to be a clear starting goaltender, that may not be possible given the circumstances surrounding him. If Edmonton brings him on board, that won’t be his role from the start and he’ll need to accept that. With that being said though, he could earn the job if Skinner has another major slump like he did to start this season.
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Merzlikins has made it clear he’s looking forward to a change of scenery, and he’s playing with a level of anger and confidence that will make him a good addition to any organization for the remainder of the season. After that though, questions can certainly be asked about if he can sustain a high level of play. The Blue Jackets need to move him soon, and they likely won’t get a large return due to his contract. Wherever this story goes next, it’ll certainly make an impact around the NHL.