Elvis Merzlikins should be very motivated for a big year after being named to Latvia's Olympic roster

Only one current Columbus Blue Jacket was named to their country's preliminary roster for the 2026 Olympics in Italy, and he might be a surprise strictly from a CBJ perspective. But, it's good news for all involved. Elvis Merzlikins should be very motivated for a big year after being named to Latvia's early roster.

Merzlikins is one of two goaltenders named to the roster, joining Arturs Silovs of the Vancouver Canucks. This is high honor for Elvis, who gets a chance to showcase himself in front of the entire hockey world on one of its largest stages.

While Latvia isn't typically a powerhouse on the international hockey stage, there are some notable names heading to Italy alongside Elvis; including Zemgus Girgensons, Uvis Balinskis, and Teddy Blueger. That being said, they are definitely not on par with the teams that will be iced by the likes of Canada, Sweden, Finland, or the USA. So, they will need superb goaltending if they stand any chance of staying in their games at the Olympics.

It'll be up to Merzlikins and Silovs to provide the saves. With the games still more than 6 months away, it's impossible to tell who will be their starter in goal. But, either can make a case for himself; which means that Elvis should be very motivated to get back to his game this year.

In the not-so-distant past, Elvis would have been the obvious #1 for team Latvia. He's played for his country at various levels for nearly 15 years, and earned a reputation for stealing games for them in meaningful tournaments. That's what put him onto the radar of NHL teams, and led to him being drafted by the Blue Jackets in the first place.

But, his game has fallen off in recent years. Following the tragic loss of his friend, teammate, and fellow countryman Matiss Kivlenieks; Elvis hasn't been able to fully rediscover his game. Aside from the tragedy, a big part of this has been due to the Blue Jackets going through a rebuild. But, it also falls on his shoulders to get back to the level we all know he's capable of reaching. The opportunity to win the starting job for his country on the highest level yet, could be motivation enough to get him back there.

This season saw the Blue Jackets compete for a playoff spot in spite of its less than average goaltending situation. If Elvis Merzlikins can come to camp focused on building his game up towards an Olympic run, he's talented enough to help get this team over the hump. Even average goaltending is probably good enough, but Elvis is capable of so much more.

Next season is his chance to redeem himself.

Another motivating factor here may involve Elvis getting pushed for starts in net. Jet Greaves will be on the NHL roster next season, and he stole the show for the Blue Jackets down the stretch. This will put pressure on Merzlikins to step his game up if he wants to continue to be a starting goaltender in Columbus.

He hasn't faced that type of pressure since Joonas Korpisalo was dealt away ahead of the 2023 trade deadline - and that was in a year when Joonas started his season late. Since then, Daniil Tarasov has acted as backup when healthy. And, his play this season wasn't anywhere near up to par; so Merzlikins was given the lion's share of starts by default.

With just two years remaining on his contract, the time is now for Elvis to get dialed in. The Blue Jackets need him. His country needs him. It's up to him to rediscover his magic and deliver.