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Breaking News: Elvis has left the building, and the Columbus goalie has officially requested a trade.
The Columbus Blue Jackets and former star goalie Elvis Merzlikins have reached an impasse.
Despite being a reliable starter years before, Merzlikins had been demoted by Pascal Vincent, the unlucky man who rose to head coach.
This has caused Elvis to feel undervalued by a bottom-feeding team, and due to his struggles in recent years, he is ready to find a new team.
Merzlikins, 76th overall in the 3rd round of the 2014 draft pick, arrived in Columbus to excited fans. During John Tortorella's tenure, he saw limited playoff time with the team.
In his postgame media availability, Elvis Merzlikins said that he requested a trade. #CBJ— Coby Maeir (@CobyMaeir) January 15, 2024
His demotion to the 3rd goalie position, with Spencer Martin and Daniil Tarasov ahead of him on the depth chart, led him to request a trade.
This goalie, who is playing some of his best hockey this season, could be a great acquisition for the rebuilding Blackhawks.
As they've previously made multiple deals with the Blue Jackets, they are already trading partners.
Furthermore, the team could send an asset back in return if the Blue Jackets agree to pay a portion of the goalies' contract, which currently has a cap hit of $5.4 million AAV with three years left.
Currently, the Blackhawks have $8.78 million available in cap space.
The 29-year-old goalie could help the team through its rebuilding period and is currently on the rise in Columbus.
He is currently riding a 3.15 GAA, .906 SV% through 174 games with the Columbus Blue Jackets.
As Seen On: houseofhockey.net
| POLL | ||
JANVIER 15 | 145 ANSWERS Breaking News: Elvis has left the building, and the Columbus goalie has officially requested a trade. Do you think the Chicago Blackhawks should trade for Elvis Merzlikins? | ||
| Yes | 77 | 53.1 % |
| No | 68 | 46.9 % |
| List of polls | ||