Columbus Blue Jackets Messy Merzlikins Contract Covers Their Goal – Hockey Writers – Columbus Blue Jackets

This past season for the Columbus Blue Jackets was not a season they were proud of, or at least not in the way they finished. This now leaves them in an awkward position as they look ahead to what could be a defining moment for a franchise with potential departures.

One of the biggest pieces the Blue Jackets seem to have figured out is their goaltending situation. Jet Greaves looks to be the starter moving forward, and that leaves them with a big contract for backup goaltender Elvis Merzlikins. So, how can they attack this?

First things first” because Merzlikins means a lot to the fans, and because he’s been a great teammate to everyone in the locker room, they want to make sure they do well by him. However, the Blue Jackets have to find a way to lose badly in order to acquire a top talent in the draft, or step in and try to win now. They can’t afford to be delayed for 25 years without a role in the middle.

So, what could be holding back trying to move Merzlikins?

Merzlikins Contract Issues

Merzlikins will be entering the final year of a one-year deal handed out by former general manager Jarmo Kekalainen that spans five years and is worth $27 million in total (average annual value of $5.4 million).

Fortunately for any team that might be looking to acquire Merzlikins, this upcoming season is not only the last of that contract, but also very affordable. His salary dropped from $5.52 million to just $4.22 million, which would allow more flexibility for the team trying to sign him.

There are a few places where Merzlikins could be sent to try to revive his career, but at the end of the day, he’s 33 years old and it’s hard to imagine a team wanting to take him for that amount of money and bad stats.

Rick Bowness (re: Elvis Merzlikins) “Think you’re the #1 goaltender? Come to camp in shape and ready to prove it”. #CBJ

– Union and Blue (@UnionAndBlue) April 16, 2026

Merzlikins has struggled since his five-year extension began in 2022. He has yet to post a goals against average (GAA) below 3.00, and has yet to post over a .900 save season (SV%). He also failed to have a single season in which his goals-against-average (GSAx) was good, courtesy of PuckPedia.

It sounds like an open challenge for Greaves and Merzlikins to come to camp to start the 2026-27 season, and it’s a fair game for both guys to show their worth.

The tough part would be that they also have a few goaltenders in the American Hockey League (AHL), who are a little younger and may be able to produce more on the cheap right now.

Internal Competition AHL Goaltenders

The two goaltenders trying to earn their way back to the NHL through the Blue Jackets program right now are Zach Sawchenko and Ivan Fedotov. Both of these guys got some time in the NHL in previous experiences with the San Jose Sharks and the Philadelphia Flyers respectively, but neither experience worked out very well.

However, looking ahead, with a young goaltender in Graves struggling, they need someone who is cheap and can make around 20 competitive appearances per season. Both of these guys can do that, and they did this season for the Cleveland Monsters.

April 12, 2026: Top AHL Goalie Players

01 MIL Matt Murray 33 shots, 32 saves, 1 goal against
02 SPR Georgi Romanov 32 shots, 31 saves, 1 goal against
03 CLE Ivan Fedotov 41 shots, 38 saves, 3 goals against

— LinesLinesLines (@CcCMiddleton) April 13, 2026

Neither of the two are yet 30, and would be a perfect complement to the 25-year-old Greaves. The most likely option is for Fedotov to join the NHL roster in Columbus next season if Merzlikins struggles again early on. Last season, Fedotov was the last pick on the opening night roster for the Blue Jackets.

It wouldn’t be a shock if Fedotov has another good training camp, and gives head coach Rick Bowness a tough decision to either carry three goaltenders or send someone to Cleveland who might be deserving of NHL playing time.

Sawchenko has been a consistent mainstay for the Monsters over the past two seasons since joining the Vancouver Canucks organization. He has given the organization plenty of reasons to promote him to the NHL team, however as tough and tricky as it may be, he is likely to start in Cleveland and await a contract renewal with an AHL team.

Greaves Must Be Ace

In all these talks about who will open Greaves’ jersey next season, one thing remains constant, and it is assumed that he will continue to be a rock in the Blue Jackets’ sticks. All signs point to continued success for him, as he continues to get better and better throughout his seasons in Columbus.

At just 25 years old, he’s already a rising star among the league’s goaltenders, and he’s made the kinds of saves you’d expect to see from a goaltender making $5-plus million, but he only made $812,000 this past season. He is a restricted free agent, and there is very little doubt that the Blue Jackets will work with him long term this summer.

Greaves stood out this season among the league’s leading pitchers in terms of GSAx over 16, per PuckPedia. He’s shown to be strong, and in 55 games this season he’s posted a 2.60 GAA and a .908 SV%.

Considering his stats and performance over the past two seasons, expect his contract to be among the highest among goaltenders in the NHL, somewhere around $7.5 million-plus per season. He just scratches his face.

Besides unrestricted free agents and other restricted free agents, there will be a big shakeup coming in Columbus, and how they react will tell a lot about what general manager Don Waddell and Bowness see about the future of this organization. They have to take care of Greaves and figure out which option will be the cheapest going forward for the production they need in the backup.

This team is on the verge of being a contender or a draft lottery team again. They have to make a bold move somehow and it starts this offseason.