Blue Jackets’ Merzlikins unavailable due to ‘personal reasons’

The Columbus Blue Jackets are making temporary changes in the crease. 

On Friday, Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reported that the Blue Jackets had recalled goaltender Jet Greaves from the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters, as first-choice goalie Elvis Merzlikins is now unavailable due to personal reasons. 

Daniil Tarasov, who has played 16 games this season as Merzlikins’ backup, remains on the Blue Jackets roster. 

Through 44 games this season, Merzlikins has posted an .896 save percentage and 3.04 goals against average while collecting a 22-18-4 record. He played on Thursday night, making 25 saves on 28 shots as the Blue Jackets fell 4-0 to the Vegas Golden Knights. 

According to Mark Scheig, Merzlikins fully participated in practice on Friday, despite not being available soon afterward.

Greaves joins the NHL team after playing 34 games with Cleveland this season. In the AHL, he boasts a .915 save percentage and 2.84 goals against average and the 23-year-old has also played five NHL games this season, with two wins on his record. 

A native of Cambridge, Ont, Greaves made his NHL debut with the Blue Jackets in 2022-23 and has since gone on to play 15 games for the club, posting his first NHL win in December 2023 in a 41-save effort and a 5-2 victory over the St. Louis Blues. 

With Merzlikins unavailable, Tarasov will likely temporarily take on the starting role. He is looking to build on his .899 save percentage in his 61 career NHL games, which has dipped to .883, and his goals-against average of 3.54 this season. 

The Blue Jackets sit second in the Eastern Conference Wild Card standings on 70 points through 65 games, caught in a heated battle for the final Stanley Cup Playoff spot alongside the New York Rangers, Montreal Canadiens, Detroit Red Wings, and Boston Bruins, all within two points. 

The Blue Jackets take on the Rangers on Saturday night on home ice at Nationwide Arena.