RWJC Posted January 16 Share Posted January 16 Elvis Merzļikins Requests Trade Amid Diminishing Role January 15th, 2024 at 7:57pm CST • By Gabriel Foley Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Elvis Merzļikins told the media after Monday’s game that he has requested a trade away from the team. Monday marks the first game that Merzļikins has played since December 29th – spending the last six games as either a backup or healthy scratch. He made 21 saves en route to a 4-3 shootout victory. Merzļikins has become the third goaltender on Columbus’ depth chart, with Daniil Tarasov and Spencer Martin both receiving starts over Merzļikins. The Blue Jackets haven’t proven any more successful with the goalie changes, going 1-3-2 in the games Merzļikins sat out. It’s led Columbus to a dismal 13-21-9 start to the season, a record that ranks them 28th in the NHL. This trade request could mark the end of what has been a heartwarming story for Merzļikins in Columbus. The 29-year-old became just the third Latvian goaltender to be drafted into the NHL when the Blue Jackets took him in the third round of the 2014 NHL Draft – the same round that saw Warren Foegele, Ilya Sorokin, and Brayden Point be selected. Of the two Latvians to be selected before Merzļikins, only one had played significant NHL time: 568-game veteran Artūrs Irbe. Merzļikins, who has played in 173 games since his NHL debut in 2019-20, now ranks second in games played among Latvian netminders behind only Irbe – surpassing undrafted netminder Pēteris Skudra, the only other to play in more than 100 games. Columbus has allowed more goals than any team other than the San Jose Sharks this season – but despite it, Merzļikins has still found a way to have a productive year, setting an 8-8-6 record and .906 save percentage through 24 games. He’s back to maintaining a save percentage over .900, a feat he managed in each of his first three seasons but lost with a .876 save percentage in 30 games last year. Merzļikins’ rebound back to form sets him up to be an attractive trade option for teams in need of goaltending help but without the assets to acquire a top name like John Gibson or Jacob Markstrom. But any recipient would need to have cap space, as Merzlikins carries a $5.4MM cap hit over the next four seasons, making him the 11th-most expensive goaltender in the league. There’s also the question of what Columbus would want in return for a goaltender who has become the fifth-most frequent in club history. Regardless, this move brings an exciting spark to the looming March 8th Trade Deadline. https://www.prohockeyrumors.com/2024/01/elvis-merzlikins-requests-trade-amid-diminishing-role.html#ref=home Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil_314 Posted January 16 Share Posted January 16 (edited) Lol sounds like he has a monster-sized desire to get out of Columbus. ‘I’m pulling the monster out of me’: Merzlikins sounds off on trade request after beating Canucks - CanucksArmy With his stat line and with how many number 1's are struggling around the league with similar totals, I'm not sure if other teams would readily take a swing at him taking over their crease. Of course playing behind Columbus likely doesn't help, but some other teams are already set in terms of a current starter (BOS/ FLA/ TOR/ TB/ NYR/ PHI/ NYI/ maybe NJ with Daws/ PIT/ WSH with Lindgren/ most of the Pacific, maybe besides ANA/ most of the Central besides maybe MIN and CHI) so unless he's down to join a platoon like in DET/ MTL/ BUF/ MIN, trying to overtake his former teammate in Korpisalo in OTT or take over for Raanta in Carolina, I'm not sure what new opportunities and expanded role he'd get. Maybe Carolina trades Raanta for him? Edited January 16 by Phil_314 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Miss Korea Posted January 16 Share Posted January 16 AWW YEAH I BEAT THE CANUCKS I GOT TRADE VALUE BABY I GOT TRADE VALUE GET ME OUTTA HERE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hammertime Posted January 16 Share Posted January 16 I can't imagine he's having a great time in Columbus. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PureQuickness Posted January 16 Share Posted January 16 We don't have room for him, otherwise he'd be a great mentor for our very own Silovs. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Northern_Nuck Posted January 16 Share Posted January 16 51 minutes ago, PureQuickness said: We don't have room for him, otherwise he'd be a great mentor for our very own Silovs. Sooooo you’d want to run with Merzilkins and Silovs? Alright…. Let’s just toss aside Demko and Desmith . 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrammaInTheTub Posted January 16 Share Posted January 16 I feel like we’ll see a struggling goalie swap Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coryberg Posted January 16 Share Posted January 16 Welcome to 4 weeks ago 3 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coryberg Posted January 16 Share Posted January 16 (edited) 1 hour ago, PureQuickness said: We don't have room for him, otherwise he'd be a great mentor for our very own Silovs. Silovs beat him out for starter at the world's. Elvis don't want that smoke! Edited January 16 by Coryberg 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
timberz21 Posted January 16 Share Posted January 16 8 hours ago, Hammertime said: I can't imagine he's having a great time in Columbus. I guess he's not rooming with Johnny G., otherwise he'd convince him it's the greatest place in the world. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HorvatToBaertschi Posted January 16 Share Posted January 16 10 hours ago, Phil_314 said: Lol sounds like he has a monster-sized desire to get out of Columbus. ‘I’m pulling the monster out of me’: Merzlikins sounds off on trade request after beating Canucks - CanucksArmy With his stat line and with how many number 1's are struggling around the league with similar totals, I'm not sure if other teams would readily take a swing at him taking over their crease. Of course playing behind Columbus likely doesn't help, but some other teams are already set in terms of a current starter (BOS/ FLA/ TOR/ TB/ NYR/ PHI/ NYI/ maybe NJ with Daws/ PIT/ WSH with Lindgren/ most of the Pacific, maybe besides ANA/ most of the Central besides maybe MIN and CHI) so unless he's down to join a platoon like in DET/ MTL/ BUF/ MIN, trying to overtake his former teammate in Korpisalo in OTT or take over for Raanta in Carolina, I'm not sure what new opportunities and expanded role he'd get. Maybe Carolina trades Raanta for him? Why? Didn't he just win the cup with them yesterday? 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Odjickwillkillyou Posted January 16 Share Posted January 16 Elvis Monsterzlikinzzzzzzzzzz!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil_314 Posted January 17 Share Posted January 17 11 hours ago, HorvatToBaertschi said: Why? Didn't he just win the cup with them yesterday? Yup lol, he was living out his own Hall of Fame induction, Ring of Honor, statue raised, jersey retirement... the whole shebang! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeNiro Posted January 17 Share Posted January 17 Wonder if they’ll get a monster return… Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trebreh Posted January 17 Share Posted January 17 I hope he gets traded to Buffalo lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RWJC Posted January 17 Author Share Posted January 17 18 minutes ago, DeNiro said: Wonder if they’ll get a monster return… Maybe he meant he’s going to be a Cleveland Monster 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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