The biggest question mark for the Columbus Blue Jackets as they embark upon a new season remains in goal. Despite larger expectations throughout the entire organization, the team will run it back with Elvis Merzlikins for the fourth consecutive year, and it feels like make or break time.
That's because this year, it's different. For the first time since the team traded away long-time backup Joonas Korpisalo; Elvis is going to have some legitimate competition in the crease. This comes in the form of rookie upstart Jet Greaves, who turned the NHL on its head at the end of last year by nearly dragging this team into a playoff spot.
That means that the bulk of the starts aren't going to be given to anyone in particular. The Jackets will start their season with a goaltending battle. In my opinion, this is the best possible scenario for a team that has not gotten quality goaltending in several years.
With all of that aside, I'm not one of those people who is ready to give up on Merzlikins and hand over the reins to Greaves - or anyone else. Despite the early offseason rumors that the team could either trade or buy him out, Elvis is still under contract here for two more seasons. He gets another chance to rewrite his story in Columbus this year.
This is a talented player who has lost his way. When he came over to North America in the magical spring of 2019, he was touted as one of the best goaltending prospects in hockey. And, things started out that way with a Blue Jackets team that was still seeing the after effects of quality leadership and a stretch of (marginal) success in the years prior.
Through his first three years in the NHL, Elvis looked like a high end starter. He earned a contract extension that paid him as such, and the Jackets gave him the "starting goaltender" title to go along with it. At the time of that extension, it seemed like a potential bargain.
Where did it all go wrong?We can point to a few things here. The Jackets began to trench in a rebuild in the spring of 2021, trading away almost every remaining piece of the leadership core - and along with it, the identity established by former head coach John Tortorella.
Then, tragically, Elvis watched as his best friend Matiss Kivlenieks was killed in a freak fireworks accident. So, it should really come as no surprise that his play has been on a bit of a decline over the last three or four years.
Now, it's time for this team to start digging its way out of that rebuild in a larger way. Last season, they were a much better team, but they still could not get consistent enough goaltending to begin to contend for a playoff spot in earnest. A big part of that was due to the lack of trust in backup Daniil Tarasov. That won't be an issue this year.
Greaves is going to push Merzlikins harder for a share of the starts. That's going to make both compete harder. And, when Elvis needs a night off, the hope here is that having a more capable backup will afford him that luxury. So, my hunch is that this team's goaltending should improve this year.
But of course, a lot of that falls on the shoulders of Merzlikins and how he responds to being pushed harder. Will he become a supportive veteran that wants to win? Or, will he blow up at the first sign of losing starts? Time will tell.
One bold prediction: Elvis Merzlikins will post a .900% or better save percentage for the first time since 2021-22, and help lead the Jackets into the playoffs.
I'm banking on a calmer, more mature Elvis Merzlikins this season. Call me crazy, but I have faith that he's going to rediscover his game this year and help this team in a much bigger way. I have no reason to say this other than "vibes". Call it a gut feeling.
When he's on his game, he has the potential to steal games. There isn't much doubting that. It's also hard to argue that most of his struggles have been because of the mental side of things. With age comes wisdom, and with wisdom comes calmness. A calmer, more confident Elvis Merzlikins is exactly what this team needs to get over the playoff hump.