Goaltending May be the Achilles Heel for the Columbus Blue Jackets

Coming into the 2023-2024 season, the goaltending is a question mark for the Blue Jackets. Can Elvis Merzlikins regain his form and live up to the big contract that he signed in 2021? Will Daniil Tarasov finally be able to solidify himself as an NHL goaltender? Does the organization have the depth at goaltending to make the playoffs? These questions, along with others, need to be addressed for the Blue Jackets to find success this season.

Have any of those questions been answered yet? Technically no, since the regular season has yet to begin. But if the preseason is a precursor for what is to come, then the 5th line has cause for concern.

So far, Elvis Merzlikins has not looked good in preseason. He has played in three games and has a save percentage of 0.872 and 3.80 GAA.  He has not looked confident and has often times looked out of position. We can’t point the finger at the defense like last season. So far, the defense has been better (at times it has looked pretty good). This is really on Elvis. He needs to be better. Plain and simple.

The 5th line has yet to see Daniil Tarasov in the preseason, as he has been sidelined with a knee injury. There is no timetable for his return to action. While this doesn’t imply that he won’t be an NHL goaltender this season, it brings up a different concern: his health. He has yet to play in more than 30 games in a single season since coming to North America. His inability to stay healthy over the course of a season is troubling. His body may not have what it takes to be a professional athlete in the NHL. Maybe he does not have what it takes to be an NHL goaltender.

Multiple goalies have played for the CBJ this preseason. The three most notable goalies are Aaron Dell, Spencer Martin, and Jet Greaves. Dell was on a professional try-out contract. That means that he needed to play well in order to earn an actual contract for the entirety of the season. Unfortunately for Dell, he did not earn a contract for the season. Dell was released from his PTO on 10/5. Dell played in 2 games and had a 0.857 save percentage and 2.95 GAA. Again, those numbers are not good.

The Blue Jackets claimed goaltender Spencer Martin off waivers from the Vancouver Canucks. Martin has primarily been a career AHL-er and has not really established himself in the NHL. Last season, Martin played in 29 games for the Canucks that resulted in a 0.871 save percentage and 3.99 GAA. Those number do not give the 5th line confidence that Martin can be a good goaltender for the CBJ. However, in his one preseason game with Columbus, Martin stopped 34 of 37 shots (0.919 save percentage) and made some good saves. Martin will need to put together multiple good games before the 5th line can feel confident in him.

The one bright spot for the CBJ goaltending has been the young goaltender Jet Greaves, who has been the best goalie to suit up for the Jackets this preseason. He has played in 3 games this preseason and is sporting a 0.915 save percentage and 2.46 GAA. Those numbers are actually pretty good, especially for a young goaltender. Prior to the season starting, Greaves was penciled in to start in the AHL. However, with the way that the young goalie has played, the coaching staff will have a difficult time keeping him off the Blue Jackets final roster. The only downside to Greaves is his contract: he doesn’t require waivers to be sent to the AHL. That will hurt him in his chances to stay in Columbus. But if his stellar play continues, the contract status may not matter.

I suspect the Blue Jackets will go with Merzlikins and Martin to start the season. Martin will likely get the nod over Greaves because of his contract situation. Martin is on a one-way contract and requires waivers before going to the AHL. Greaves does not require waivers to be sent to the AHL. CBJ management won’t want to jeopardize their goaltending depth by having another team claim Martin off waivers.

However, going with Martin over Greaves may not be the correct choice. Based on play alone, Greaves should be in the NHL. With management desperately needing success this season and the Blue Jackets organization hoping for playoff hockey in 2024, then it would make sense to suit up the best players that you have for each and every game (regardless of contract status). Greaves has been the best goalie for the Blue Jackets and has earned the right to start in the NHL. This would give the Blue Jackets the best chance to win with the players that they currently have.