A Recap of Recent Events
About a week ago, I wrote an article talking about some recent interviews involving goaltender Elvis Merzlikins, stating that he and the Columbus Blue Jackets have agreed to “find a new scenario.” These statements came after the netminder had either been a healthy scratch or confined to the bench for six games in a row. In an interview, Merzlikins went on to say that he is “not a number 3 goalie” but also stated that he did not request a trade.
Head coach Pascal Vincent seemed unaware of what a “new scenario” might mean for Elvis as he claimed the situation was above his pay grade.
New Developments
Since the interview with Elvis, when he denied requesting a trade, a few new events surrounding that statement have arisen. After besting the Vancouver Canucks 4-3 in a shootout, Merzlikins seemed to have changed his tone from previous comments. In a post-game television interview, Elvis had this to say:
“I’m just mad; I’m going to tell you honestly. I’m mad, and I’m pulling out the monster of me now.”
In another after-game interview with 1st Ohio Battery’s reporter Coby Maeir, the netminder also claimed that he had requested a trade.
“I’m really happy for the boys – everyone knows I requested a trade, and everyone was still here and playing for me.”
A Response From Insiders
Immediately after this news came to light, many were left wondering what this could mean for both Merzlikins and the team. In my previous article, I had given my thoughts on what the term “new scenario” could mean. I had written that I thought several different options were possible and opined on which I thought were more probable. Those included a trade, a buyout of Elvis’ contract, the goaltender making his way back to number one, or dropping him to waivers in hopes another team picks up his contract.
With Merzlikin’s recently saying that he had requested a trade many were quick to weigh in on what that trade might look like. When asked if there are “any takers” for Elvis Merzlikins, Pierre Lebrun on TSN’s ‘Insider Trading’ stated, “No, there are no takers right now. The Markets really soft for him.” Lebrun noted that the $5.4 million cap hit for three years, along with declining stats may be an obstacle in the way of a potential trade. He also said, “I see this more as a summer move.”
Related Article: Should the Edmonton Oilers Acquire Elvis Merzlikins?
A Confusing Twist
During an interview on ‘Rothman & Ice,’ a show on local Columbus radio station ‘97.1 The Fan’, Columbus Blue Jacket’s President, John Davidson, said, “He has not asked to be traded.” Davidson also stated, “I’ve talked to his agent a couple of times in the last few days. Everything seems to be calm right now.”
This came as a surprise to many because it was not what both Elvis and members of the media had been saying just a few days before. John Davidson went on to say, “He felt he was being perceived as the third goaltender and that he wasn’t happy about it, nor would I be. But you gotta handle it differently than he did.” A former NHL goaltender himself, John Davidson knows what it takes to be a number one goalie and compete at a high level. In talking further about Merzlikins, he says, “Elvis, he has talent, he has flair. But just play, stop the puck, play, stop the puck. Work hard in practice. Generally, if you do that, things work out.”
What This Means for the Blue Jackets
The Columbus Blue Jackets have had several options for goaltenders this year. Now that backup Daniil Tarasov is healthy and able to play, this has created somewhat of a logjam at the goalie position. Columbus, at one point, had three different goaltenders to choose from. This was, in part, what led Elvis to make some of the previous comments about “not being a third goalie.”
Because of the multiple players available for this position and no trade being formally requested, the Columbus Blue Jackets opted to put goaltender Spencer Martin on waivers with the intent of sending him to the Columbus affiliate Cleveland Monsters AHL team. For those who may not know, a player who is put on waivers can be claimed by another team within a certain window of time. This is how the Blue Jackets were able to pick up Martin before the season this year. This is also how the Blue Jackets lost Martin to the Carolina Hurricanes this week.
While both the Columbus Blue Jackets and Cleveland Monsters have both starting and backup goalies, this could leave a hole that needs to be filled if injury occurs. The Blue Jackets have the option to call up Jet Greaves from the Monsters. The Monsters have the option to call up goaltender Pavel Cajan from the Kalamazoo Wings (ECHL).
Recently, the Monsters have also signed Hunter Vorva on a Professional Tryout contract, or PTO for short. This may be an opportune moment for Vorva in the event a goalie shuffle is imminent.
When the Dust Settles
After all is said and done, this still leaves some questions.
What is the likelihood that Merzlikins gets traded? Whether it’s now or later it seems there is no current trade talk about Elvis from Columbus’ front office. With his recent statements, it seems that there could potentially still be a trade request coming from the goaltender. While a summer move may be more likely, it’s possible that a trade could never come to fruition.
What if Elvis stays? Because of the whirlwind of news outlets picking this up and some fans souring on social media, could this affect the mental health, relationships, and game of Merzlikins or the team? In my opinion, when events like this are publicized so heavily, it could negatively impact teammates as well. Even when celebrating other achievements, this story has overshadowed the team this entire week. Recently the Blue Jackets beat the number one team in the NHL, the Vancouver Canucks, but this Merzlikins story seems to have taken over. In my opinion, I could understand how some players may not enjoy the negative attention to the team.
What happens if Elvis does leave? Without having backup goalie Spencer Martin, this would force the Blue Jackets to either find another backup replacement or possibly bring up Jet Greaves in a more permanent way.
If that is the case, what do the Monsters do? In addition to Pavel Cajan, The Blue Jackets currently have the rights to two other goalie prospects. One is 19-year-old Sergei Ivanov, who is currently playing in the KHL. Ivanov shows some promise with his current team, Admiral Vladivostok. The other prospect is Nolan Lalonde currently playing in the OHL for the Saginaw Spirit. Both need time to develop more, and neither is guaranteed to work out at the NHL level.
Without having much success in the past few years, as well as the hiring and firing of Mike Babcock before this season, could this recent drama be disastrous to Blue Jacket’s General Manager, Jarmo Kekkalainen, and President, John Davidson? The track record for the NHL’s first Finnish GM has been less than stellar recently. While Davidson broke the silence quickly on the recent Merzlikins news, there hasn’t been much talk from up top on the direction of the Blue Jackets. Some are concerned about how they’re going to be able to turn this team around and eventually create a winning season.
In Summary
While there are comments from Elvis, John Davidson, and head coach Pascal Vincent, it seems the only people who (probably) know what is going on are Merzlikin’s agent and the Blue Jacket’s front office. Some probably wished this played out more privately, but now that it is in the limelight, this has already seemed to have an impact as Spencer Martin had been put on and was claimed from waivers.
Backup goaltender Daniil Tarasov still needs playing time, and any injuries could also throw a wrench into the works. With having limited options for goaltenders, some shuffling between Cleveland and Columbus may have to be the answer.
The season started with drama surrounding the head coach. Many fans might hope the Blue Jackets can make it out of this current situation with minimal damage and for the drama to end. The team could end up looking quite different at the end of this season as compared to the beginning.
The Columbus Blue Jackets play their next game in Edmonton against the Oilers on Tuesday, January 2,3rd at 9 pm EST.
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