After the Blue Jackets beat the Canucks 4-3 in a shootout on Monday, goaltender Elvis Merzlikins said that he requested a trade from the team.
Heres the audio of when Elvis Merzlikins said he requested a trade during his postgame media availability today. #CBJ pic.twitter.com/W0oPvXzOsA
— Coby Maeir (@CobyMaeir) January 15, 2024
Merzlikins has posted an 8-8-6 record with a .906SV% and a 3.22 GAA in 24 games this season. He is in the second year of a five-year, $5.4M AAV contract, and is 44th among NHL goalies in goals saved above expected, per moneypuck.com.
While requesting a trade is the first step to being moved, it takes two teams to tango.
Merzlikins' career save percentage is .906%, which is above this year's league average of .899. However, he's played in just 24 games this season and has missed 42 games over five seasons due to various injuries and illnesses, according to nhlinjuryviz.blogspot.com.
Merzlikins is a slightly above-average goalie who is paid like the 11th-best goalie in the league, which he certainly is not.
Relating to his cap hit, the only teams in the NHL with the cap space to acquire his full cap hit without having to shed salary themselves are teams that either don't need a goalie or are out of playoff contention.
If the Blue Jackets trade Merzlikins before March 8th's trade deadline, it's likely going to come with salary retention or taking back another team's bad contract.
It'll be interesting to see how this situation plays out over the next two months, because as Merzlikins has shown, he won't be silent.
