Elvis Merzlikins leaves with another injury for Columbus Blue Jackets, so now what?
It was a fitting sight for the Blue Jackets, who've been challenged and then ravaged by injuries from the start of this season.
After allowing his sixth goal on 24 shots in his first game since March 7 start in Pittsburgh, Elvis Merzlikins showed signs of a leg injury Saturday night in Montreal. The Blue Jackets' star-crossed goalie stayed on the ice at Bell Centre, on all fours, after allowing a goal that gave Rafael Harvey-Pinar his first NHL hat trick, and then got to his feet.
Merzlikins readied himself for the ensuing faceoff, played another 20 seconds and then left during a penalty stoppage after calling for Mike Vogt, the Blue Jackets’ head athletic trainer. He left after another nightmarish start in a season filled with personal challenges that have included poor play, illnesses, injuries, threatening comments made by fans at Nationwide Arena, the recent death of his grandmother in Latvia and now this ― whatever it turns out to be.
"In my past two years, things are coming and coming (at me)," Merzlikins said Thursday at Nationwide Arena. "I'm just asking to my 'life challenge,' like, 'What's gonna be next? What's next gonna come?' you know? I just start feeling great on the ice, in my game ― I was controlling the game, it wasn't the game controlling me ― and then I had to leave."
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Merzlikins left March 10, returning to Latvia to see his paternal grandmother as she battled a serious illness. He didn't make it in time, learning of her death from his wife, Aleksandra, during a flight layover. Merzlikins' journey to say his last goodbyes turned into an effort to make sure his grandmother's funeral was befitting of her life and what she meant to his family.
He's grateful to the Blue Jackets for encouraging his leave of absence, but it was a lot to process ― especially when combined with lingering feelings 20 months after the shocking death of Matiss Kivlenieks, a close friend and fellow Latvian goalie for the Blue Jackets, in a fireworks incident July 4, 2021 at the home of goaltending coach Manny Legace.
"(Legace) said, 'Leave ... go home,'" Merzlikins said. "I said, 'But here is my work. I mean, they are paying me, right? I can't just leave like that,' and I didn't know what to do, actually."
He made the right choice, but it came with a cost.
The sharpness Merzlikins had before leaving disappeared. He worked out in a gym in Riga, Latvia, but didn't have ice to practice for almost two weeks. There was rust to shake off whenever Merzlikins returned and it showed in the Blue Jackets' 8-2 loss to the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday night.
He wasn't at his best and then left with an injury that caused enough discomfort to prevent Merzlikins from exiting without a limp. Blue Jackets coach Brad Larsen didn’t have an update following the game, but Merzlikins’ latest "life challenge" is another injury that could put his availability for the season's final 10 games in jeopardy.
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Either way, it's a development that fits with the rest of Merzlikins' first contract year in a five-year deal signed in September 2021. Outside of a solid seven-game stint Jan. 28 to March 3, this has been a lost season for Merzlikins, one of the league's most enigmatic goalies.
At his best, when he’s confident and chirping opponents, it’s tough to get a puck by him. At his worst, when Merzlikins is rusty or dealing with issues that affect focus, the puck eludes him at an alarming rate.
He’s also the guy the Blue Jackets picked over goalie Joonas Korpisalo for a contract extension and will likely be the Blue Jackets’ top goaltender next season ― backed up by rookie Daniil Tarasov. The Jackets need Merzlikins to stay healthy next season. They need him to become a sturdy No. 1 netminder for a young team that continues to improve while still putting its goalies into some terrible spots.
Should Merzlikins return to the net this season, he can still salvage a few positives heading into the offseason. That, however, won’t change the importance of his summer ahead.
Injuries continue to plague Columbus Blue Jackets
Merzlikins' injury was merely the latest for the Blue Jackets, who also lost defenseman Erik Gudbranson (upper body), forward Mathieu Olivier (lower body) and Patrik Laine (triceps strain) in the span of three days.
They also lost rookie defenseman Nick Blankenburg for a stretch Friday against the New York Islanders, but he was able to finish that game plus Saturday's in Montreal while battling a lower-body issue.
Considering the way this injury-riddled season has gone, it's not surprising to see the Blue Jackets dealt another swarm of injuries involving key players. Neither Gudbranson nor Olivier made the trip and Larsen's initial report on Gudbranson was that it might take longer for him to recover than Olivier.
Neither were at Bell Centre to provide a security detail for the Jackets' skill players, but it wasn't an issue. That could become a problem if both are out long-term.
The Blue Jackets are also missing Patrik Laine (triceps strain), Zach Werenski (shoulder), Justin Danforth (shoulder), Jake Bean (shoulder) and Yegor Chinakhov – who’s with the AHL’s Monsters while returning from a high-ankle sprain.
Columbus Blue Jackets address latest injury voids
The injuries to Gudbranson and Olivier created another need for recalls from the Cleveland Monsters to fill voids in the lineup. Rookie forward Trey Fix-Wolansky and Jake Christiansen got the calls to join the NHL lineup and suited up in Montreal.
Columbus has 10 games left and there’s no timeline for Gudbranson and Olivier to return.
That means Fix-Wolansky and Christiansen get another chance to make a good impression before they're reassigned to Cleveland to help with that team's push to earn a spot in the AHL's Calder Cup playoffs. Fix-Wolansky played 13:19 in Montreal and didn't get on the scoresheet. Christiansen played 18:58 and registered a big open-ice hit.
The Monsters, meanwhile, completed a two-game sweep of the Toronto Marlies with a 4-0 shutout Saturday in Toronto. That moved Cleveland into fifth place in the AHL North, which is the division's final playoff spot. The Monsters are trying to fend off the Belleville Senators, who've played three more games.
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Blue Jackets lose goalie Elvis Merzlikins to another injury
