Blue Jackets Rumors: Elvis Merlikins A Buyout Candidate

The Columbus Blue Jackets have a problem between the pipes. Aaron Portzline of The Athletic is claiming boldy that "a goaltending overhaul is a must-do this summer", and that starter Elvis Merzlikins could even be a buyout candidate.

🚨 #CBJ is expected to move on from Elvis Merzlikins this summer via buyout or trade. Sources say management has lost faith in both Merzlikins and Tarasov.
— Frat Skyler (@FratSkyler) April 7, 2025

Of the 47 goaltenders in the NHL who qualify (>25 games played), Merzlikins, going into his last game on Sunday, was ranked 42nd with an .890 save percentage and 44th with a 3.24 goals-against average.

Overall this season, it's been Heartbreak Hotel for Elvis, as he's allowed a league-high 166 goals against.

And while Dean Evason has done a masterful job coaching this team under trying circumstances this season (and is a candidate for some Jack Adams votes), "one of the enduring mysteries is how much faith he’s put in Merzlikins," writes Portzline.

And with a huge contract that still has three years remaining at a $5.4 million cap hit that makes him "virtually untradeable", it seems like a buyout is a very real option.

A buyout would run for four seasons, and would cost against the cap as follows:

2025-26: $1.5 million
2026-27: $2.8 million
2027-28: $1.63 million
2028-29: $1.63 million

As Portzline notes, "That’s not an unwieldy amount."

As for who would replace him as starter, the early betting money would be on Jet Greaves, who, with the Cleveland Monsters at the AHL over his last 11 starts has posted a stunning .954 save percentage (.921 overall in 39 games). The 24-year-old has also performed quite well in the few cups of coffee he's had with Columbus at the NHL level over the past couple of years, with a .910 Sv% across 15 starts.

The goalie free agent market is unlikely to offer much help in the starter's role in net for the Blue Jackets, with the top names on the list this summer being Jake Allen of the NJ Devils, Dan Vladar of the Calgary Flames, the Vegas Golden Knights' Ilya Samsonov, and Carolina’s Freddie Anderson.

On the bright side for Merzlikins, we'll leave you with a look at one of his highlights of the season from the other night, stopping Matthew Knies on the 'Michigan' attempt: