Welcome to another edition of Columbus Blue Jackets' Biggest Trade Chips. In the first two editions, we looked at Yegor Chinakhov and Dmitri Voronkov, and now we are going to look at goaltender Elvis Merzlikins, who very well could be their last big trade target on the roster.
While it would be hard to move his contract, he has shown that he can be a very good goalie. However, it seems that his time is quickly running out with the Blue Jackets. With the emergence of Jet Greaves as the future starter for the organization, it could be wise for general manager Don Waddell to move on from Merzlikins.
Merzlikins, 31, had a fairly good season last year. He had a 26-21-5 record with a 3.18 goals against average (GAA) and a .892 save percentage (SV%). Over his six-year career, he has a 94-100-35 record in 244 games played, as well as a .902 SV% and a 3.20 GAA.
He currently is signed for two seasons and carries an average annual value (AAV) of $5.4 million, which is an affordable contract for a team that is looking for a goalie. However, there are some teams, like the Edmonton Oilers, that are searching for a goalie and could have to pay a bit more so that the Blue Jackets retain some of his AAV.
If the Blue Jackets can add a reliable backup goalie to help Greaves, we could see Merzlikins traded this season.
