Columbus Blue Jackets Messy Merzlikins Contract Complicates Their Goaltending – The Hockey Writers – Columbus Blue Jackets

This past season for the Columbus Blue Jackets was not a season that they are too proud of, or at least by the way they finished it. This now leaves them in an uncharacteristic spot when looking ahead to a potentially franchise-defining offseason with the amonnt of talent that could walk away.

One of the big pieces the Blue Jackets have seemingly figured out is their goaltender situations. Jet Greaves seems to be the starter moving forward, and that leaves them with a massive contract on backup goaltender Elvis Merzlikins. So, how might they attack this?

First things first” because Merzlikins has meant so much to this fan base, and because he has been such a great teammate to everyone in the locker room, they want to make sure to do right by him. However, the Blue Jackets have to find a way to either lose badly to gain elite talent through the draft, or to go all in and try to win now. They can’t allow yourself to be stuck in the middle and go nowhere as they have for 25 years.

So, what might hold up attempting to move Merzlikins?

Merzlikins’ Contract Issues

Merzlikins will be entering the final year of a rough contract that was handed out by former general manager Jarmo Kekalainen that carries a five-year term and is worth $27 million in total ($5.4 million average annual value).

Luckily for any team potentially looking to acquire Merzlikins, this upcoming season is not only the final of that contract, but it is also the cheapest. His base salary drops from $5.52 million to only $4.22 million, which can allow for some salary cap relief for a team trying to bring him aboard.

There are a few places where Merzlikins could be sent to try and revive his career, but at the end of the day, he is 33 years old and it is hard to imagine a team wanting to take on a goalie with that type of money and poor stats.

Rick Bowness (re: Elvis Merzlikins) “You think you’re a #1 goalie? 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 sub 3.00 goals against average (GAA), and also has not posted above a .900 save percentage (SV%) season. He has also failed to have a single season where his goals saved above expected (GSAx) has been positive, courtesy of PuckPedia.

It sounds like there is an open challenge for Greaves and Merzlikins to come into camp to start the 2026-27 season, and it is fair game for both guys to prove their worth.

The difficult part may be that they also have a couple of goaltenders in the American Hockey League (AHL), who are a little bit younger and may be able to produce a little bit more for a lot cheaper right now.

Internal Competition AHL Goaltenders

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

However, looking ahead, with a young goaltender in Graves shouldering most of the load, they just need someone who is cheaper and can come in for around 20 competitive starts per season. Both of these guys can do that, and have done this season for the Cleveland Monsters.

Apr 12, 2026: AHL Goalie Top Performers

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 one of the two are yet 30, and could be a complement to the 25-year-old Greaves. The most likely option would be for Fedotov to join the NHL roster in Columbus next season if Merzlikins struggles early again. Last season Fedotov was the final cut from the Blue Jackets’ opening-night roster.

It would not be shocking if once again Fedotov has another great training camp, and gives head coach Rick Bowness a tough decision whether to carry three goaltenders or send someone to Cleveland who might have deserved NHL playing time.

Sawchenko has been a staple of consistency for the Monsters the past two seasons since joining from the Vancouver Canucks organization. He has given the organization a lot of reasons to promote him to the NHL club, however with things as tight and tricky as they may be, he is more likely to start in Cleveland again pending a contract renewal with the AHL club.

Greaves Has to Be The Ace

With all this talk of who will be the Greaves’ backup to open next season, one thing is consistent, and that is the assumption that he will continue to be a rock in the Blue Jackets net. All signs point to continued success for him, as he continues to get better and better in each of his seasons in Columbus.

At only 25, he has already become a rising star amongst goaltenders in the league, and has made the types of saves you would expect to see of a goalie making $5-plus million, yet he made just $812,000 this past season. He is a restricted free agent, and there is very little doubt the Blue Jackets will work out a long-term extension with him the summer.

Greaves stood out this season amongst the league’s best goaltenders in terms of GSAx with more than 16, per PuckPedia. He has proven to be a steady force, and in 55 games this season posted a 2.60 GAA and .908 SV%.

Considering his stats and performance over the past two seasons, expect his contract to be amongst the highest of the top goaltenders in the NHL, somewhere upwards of $7.5 million-plus per season. He is just scratching the surface of his prime.

Apart from the unrestricted free agents other restricted free agents, there will be a major shakeup coming to Columbus, and how they respond will tell us a lot of what general manager Don Waddell and Bowness see regarding the future of this organization. They should take care of Greaves and then figure out which option will be the cheapest moving forward for the production they need from a backup.

This team is on the edge of either being a contender or being a draft lottery team again. They have to make a bold move one way or the other and it starts this offseason.