Columbus wanted Elvis Merzlikins out of the team – Antti Mäkinen: “Not one of the most valued players”
Columbus Blue Jackets’ long-time goaltender Elvis Merzlikins was part of a massive trade just before the new NHL season, where Kirill Marchenko was traded to the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for Matthew Knies.
NHL commentator Antti Mäkinen has now shared new information regarding the inclusion of the injured Latvian goaltender in the trade.
– Columbus wanted him out of there. It was secretly known that Merzlikins was not one of the more liked players in the team, and they needed to get rid of him, Mäkinen reveals in his Kimanttia podcast.
Merzlikins will be sidelined for a long time due to his shoulder injury, and Toronto is practically counting on nothing from him in the current NHL season.
– Let’s make it clear that Merzlikins is not in playing condition right now and he is unlikely to play much in Toronto, Mäkinen stated.
Merzlikins played in Columbus for seven seasons from 2019 to 2026. His career started promisingly, but the later seasons were statistically much more difficult.
In the 2019–20 season, Merzlikins saved 33 games with a save percentage of 92.3 and recorded five shutouts. He was also selected to the NHL’s All-Rookie Team that year.
Since then, the temperamental Latvian has become quite a burden for Columbus with a yearly salary of $5.4 million. The 32-year-old goaltender’s five-year contract expires next summer.
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