Blue Jackets sign fan-favorite goalie Elvis Merzlikins to 2-year contract extension

Elvis is back in the building for another two years, as the Columbus Blue Jackets have signed goaltender Elvis Merzlikins to a new contract.

After losing Sergei Bobrovsky to the Florida Panthers in free agency last summer, the Columbus Blue Jackets had questions to answer in goal for the upcoming season. Thanks to Elvis Merzlikins, however, the Blue Jackets were a surprise team during the 2019-20 season thanks to the heroics of a 26-year-old rookie goaltender.

On Thursday, the Blue Jackets announced that the team has re-signed Merzlikins to a two-year, $8 million deal that will kick in for the 2020-21 season. Merzlikins will be paid $3 million during the 2020-21 season and then $5 million during the 2021-22 season, with an AAV of $4 million.

Had the Blue Jackets let this matter roll into the offseason, Merzlikins would have been a restricted free agent this summer with arbitration rights. When Merzlikins’ new contract expires on July 1, 2022, he will be an unrestricted free agent.

Merzlikins came out of nowhere during the 2019-20 season for the Blue Jackets. Columbus selected the netminder 76th overall in the 2014 draft, and the goaltender then played five seasons for HC Lugano that competes in the National League in Switzerland. The Blue Jackets signed him to an NHL contract in May 2019, and has since split starting duties with netminder Joonas Korpisalo.

In his rookie season, Merzlikins went 13-9-8 in 33 games played, putting up a .923 save percentage with five shutouts. Merzlikins was tied for second in the NHL in shutouts with Marc-Andre Fleury and Tuukka Rask, and was also the fifth-best in shooting percentage for goaltenders with more than 20 games played.

Merzlikins was a major reason the Blue Jackets were competitive in the Metropolitan Division this season, as Columbus was in the final wild card spot in the Eastern Conference with a 33-22-15 record and 81 points before the season pause.

With Merzlikins under contract for the next two seasons, the Blue Jackets will have $6.8 million AAV wrapped up in their netminders — with Korpisalo’s two-year, $2.8 million AAV contract on the books — for the next few years. Quite the pair of savvy moves from general manager Jarmo Kekalainen and the crew in Columbus to shore up their goaltending situation for that cheap, if the duo continue to play well for the Blue Jackets.

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