- Elvis Merzlikins had successful shoulder surgery Monday with no timetable for his return
- Don Waddell says the discomfort turned up in offseason workouts and an MRI led to surgery
- Read below for what it means for Jet Greaves, Pheonix Copley and the Columbus crease
Elvis Merzlikins is out indefinitely.
The Blue Jackets announced Thursday that their veteran goaltender came through successful shoulder surgery on Monday, and nobody in Columbus is putting a date on his return. Training camp opens Sept. 16.
General manager Don Waddell laid out how the injury turned up, and it had nothing to do with a game:
“Elvis informed us a few weeks ago that he was experiencing some discomfort in his shoulder during his offseason workouts. Following an MRI, it was determined that surgery was the best course of action. He’ll be evaluated again in a few weeks at which time we’ll have a clearer idea on when he will be back on the ice.”
A few weeks is the part that stings. That next evaluation lands right around the camp opening, which means Columbus could walk into September without knowing when its 32-year-old goalie can face live shots again.
Merzlikins was already staring at backup work before any of this.
Jet Greaves grabbed the crease last season and never gave it up, going 26-19-9 with a 2.60 goals-against average and a .908 save percentage in 55 games. Columbus settled his new contract this summer after an arbitration hearing.
Last year was the roughest of Merzlikins’ seven seasons in Ohio. He went 14-11-3 with a 3.40 goals-against average and an .883 save percentage in 30 appearances.
Pheonix Copley slots in as the likely backup if Merzlikins cannot go by opening night. The Blue Jackets gave the veteran a one-year, $850,000 deal on July 1, and that signing looks a lot smarter now than it did six weeks ago.
Seven years in Columbus still put Merzlikins near the top of the franchise ledger. He sits second in Blue Jackets history in both wins (108) and games played (274), trailing only Sergei Bobrovsky.
Money makes it messier. Merzlikins is in the final season of his contract at a $5.4 million cap hit, and he turns 33 in April before reaching unrestricted free agency.
Columbus plays its first preseason game against Detroit on Sept. 21 and opens the regular season against Buffalo on Oct. 1.
