The Columbus Blue Jackets face off against the Pittsburgh Penguins tomorrow night in what will be an emotional one for Penguins fans.

It’ll be the Blue Jackets’ last chance to face one of the greatest goalies of all time, Marc-Andre Fleury. He signed a professional tryout with Pittsburgh to end his career where it began.

The Penguins are expected to dress Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin, and Kris Letang for Fleury’s final game.

Columbus will counter with Elvis Merzlikins in net, according to Aaron Portzline of The Athletic. Merzlikins is battling for the starting role heading into the 2025-26 season, and with limited opportunities left, this matchup will be an important test.

Last season, Merzlikins posted a 26-21-5 record with a 3.18 goals-against average and a .892 save percentage.

Earlier today, the Blue Jackets placed Ivan Fedotov on waivers as expected, leaving the goaltending competition between Merzlikins and Jet Greaves. The organization seems to lean toward the veteran to open the season, but his leash will be short. If Merzlikins struggles the rest of the preseason, he could find himself entering the year as the backup.

The next handful of games will be telling as head coach Dean Evason decides who gets the nod on opening night. For now, though, the spotlight is on Fleury, who is set to close his NHL career back in Pittsburgh, where it all started.

It should be absolute cinema.

Per Report: Ivan Fedotov Put On Waivers Per Chris Johnson of TSN and The Athletic, goalie Ivan Fedotov was placed on waivers today by the Columbus Blue Jackets. 

Injury Report: Jordan Dumais Expected To Miss Three Weeks Per The Athletic's Aaron Portzline, young forward Jordan Dumais is expected to miss the start of the season.

17 Days Until Opening Night At NWA: The History Of Jersey #17 The Columbus Blue Jackets have 17 days until opening night at Nationwide Arena. Today, we look at the history of jersey #17. 

From The Archive: Please Remain Seated The Hockey News has released its archive to all THN subscribers: 76 years of history, stories, and features.