Blue Jackets goalie Elvis Merslikins is temporarily out of the team due to his grandmother’s “serious health condition” and has returned to Latvia to be with his family, Columbus announced Friday. Here’s what you need to know:
- The Blue Jackets added goaltender Daniel Tarazo to the roster in an emergency recall from the Cleveland Monsters.
- Merslikins, 28, is 7-17-2 this season with a 4.10 goals-against average and an .880 save percentage in 29 games, 26 starts.
- Tarasov, 23, has gone 2-9-1 with a 3.28 GAA and a .908 save percentage in 13 appearances with the Blue Jackets this season.
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Merzlikins is in the first year of a five-year, $27 million contract. He left Tuesday’s loss to Pittsburgh with illness.
Columbus is 20-37-7 this season, ranking last in the Eastern Conference.
AthleticInstant analysis:
Who will fill the Merslikins?
Merslikins practiced with the Blue Jackets on Friday and was expected to start Saturday against St. Louis. Tarasov has been called up but it is unclear if he will start on Saturday or if Michael Hutchinson will get the nod. Hutchinson was acquired in a trade deadline deal with Las Vegas when the Blue Jackets traded Jonathan Quick to the Golden Knights. — portsline
The Mersligins have a tough 2022-23 campaign
It has been a difficult season for the Mersligins in many ways. He’s been playing well lately, but he’s been one of the worst goaltenders in the NHL this season. His .880 save percentage ranks 49th and his 4.10 goals-against average ranks 52nd out of 52 goaltenders. He was out of the lineup on two separate occasions, first with illness and then with a groin injury. On Tuesday, he walked out of a game at Pittsburgh down 3-0 after the first half due to illness. The Blue Jackets lost that game 5-4. — portsline
Tarasov was relegated to a backup role
The Blue Jackets’ plan for this season is for Tarasov to spend the entire season as the AHL’s No. 1 in Cleveland, then move to the NHL next season full-time. But injuries to Merslikins and Jonas Korbisalo forced Taraso to spend significant time as a substitute in Columbus. Here it is again now at an unspecified time.
Tarasov has only played 13 games in the NHL and nine in the AHL. He is expected to be the main backup for the Mersligins next season…not because his development is over, but because he will need waivers to return to the AHL. — portsline
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(Photo: Marc DesRosiers/USA Today)
