Columbus Blue Jackets Prospect Expectations 18-19: Elvis Merzlikins
A stellar performance in 17-18 set the bar very high for Elvis Merzlikins, the Columbus Blue Jackets top goalie prospect.
It’s tough to find a Columbus Blue Jackets prospect that comes into the 18-19 season with higher expectations than Elvis Merzlikins. The impressive Latvian goaltender will return to the NLA, the top Swiss league, this season and look to continue an impressive start to his young career.
The netminder dominated the Swiss league regular season in 17-18. He then carried HC Lugano to the league finals and posted impressive numbers doing so.
His .935 save percentage and 2.17 goals against average in 18 playoff games led the league. He was named the “Jaques Plante” goaltender of the year for the NLA for the second time in three seasons as well.
Merzlikins dominate season didn’t stop their either. Elvis went to Denmark to represent Latvia in the IIHF World Championships where he continued to shine. Backstopping an overwhelmed Latvia squad, Merzlikins kept his squad in every game. He posted two shutouts and held both Team Canada and Team USA to two goals in regulation. Elvis’ play led to the Latvians earning a surprise berth into the quarterfinals.
Advancing to the knockout round was a big achievement for Team Latvia and they gave Sweden all they could handle in the quarterfinal matchup. Merzlikins made 32 saves but Latvia fell 3-2 to the eventual tournament champion.
The fantastic season for Elvis started stirring questions of when the young goalie would come to North America. He would be the starting goalie in Cleveland and might be the eventual successor to Sergei Bobrovsky. But Merzlikins squashed the rumors early this offseason and announced that he was staying in Lugano for one more season.
The 2014 3rd round pick is a bright spot in a thinning prospect pool. He has dominated the NLA and that is what he will be expected to do again this year. A goals against average of around 2.25 and a save percentage about .930 should be the level that Merz performs at this year.
Other than being the best goalie for the third season in four years, all Merzlikins has to do is stay healthy. Easier said than done of course.
Next. 3 Rookies that could start with the CBJ. dark
The Jackets have some huge decisions upcoming with Sergei Bobrovsky’s contract up at the end of the year and uncertainty around Joonas Korpisalo‘s future with the team. Merzlikins could be the goalie of the future for the Columbus Blue Jackets.