Summer Spotlight: Merzlikins ready for year six with CBJ

In the leadup to training camp in September, BlueJackets.com is featuring CBJ players each weekday this summer.

How he got here: It’s been a long, winding road for Merzlikins, who was chosen by the Blue Jackets a full decade ago in the third round of the 2014 draft. He remained in Europe through the 2018-19 season, starring for HC Lugano of the National League in Switzerland while developing a reputation as one of the top goalies in the world not in the NHL. Upon coming to Columbus, he burst onto the scene as a rookie when he found his form in the second half of the season and finished fifth in the Vezina voting, and Merzlikins is now going into season No. 6 in CBJ colors.

The 2023-24 season: Merzlikins improved his goals-against average and save percentage from what had been an up-and-down, frustrating 2022-23 campaign, though the numbers still likely weren’t what the goaltender would have liked. Consistency was again an issue, as Merzlikins would have some excellent performances and highlight-reel saves only to not be able to keep the momentum going for an entire 60 minutes. He still won a team-high 13 contests and topped the 40-save mark four times on the campaign.

Top moment: The Blue Jackets had one shutout during the 2023-24 season, and Merzlikins was the one to do it. It was perhaps an odd time for it, as the Blue Jackets stopped in St. Louis for a Jan. 30 game coming off of the team’s grueling Western Canada trip and with oasis of the All-Star break on the horizon. It didn’t seem like the recipe for a win, but Merzlikins stopped all 21 shots he saw and the Blue Jackets posted a rare 1-0 victory over the Blues.

Fun fact: Merzlikins speaks four languages fluently in English, Latvian, Russian and Italian. A globetrotter so far in his life, he grew up speaking Latvian in his home country and also learned Russian, then picked up Italian when he played for HC Lugano. He also has been fluent in English since arriving to play for the Blue Jackets in 2019.

Stat to Know: Merzlikins was one of five Latvians to play in the NHL last season, and two of them are goalies along with Vancouver’s Arturs Silovs. Goaltending seems to be a passion in Latvia, as six of the 28 Latvian-born players all-time have stood between the pipes. Three of them have been under contract with the Blue Jackets – Merzlikins, the late Matiss Kivlenieks, and the king of all Latvian goalies, Arturs Irbe, who signed with the CBJ in 2004-05 but did not play because of the lost season.

Expectations for 2024-25: As Merzlikins enters the third year of a five-year contract, he’s received a vote of confidence from new general manager Don Waddell, who has spoken highly of the goalie’s talent level and his wish to get him back to his previous form. There’s no doubt Merzlikins is one of the most athletic goalies in the NHL, but consistency has been the biggest issue the past couple of seasons. While it looks like Merzlikins will compete with Daniil Tarasov for the top job entering the season after Tarasov’s strong finish to the 2023-24 season, Merzlikins has a sterling opportunity to claim the net and will still be relied on heavily by the Blue Jackets.