What happened to Elvis Merzļikins?

Merzļikins was ill with the flu and couldn't practice, so the Blue Jackets started Jet Greaves in his place.

How has the Blue Jackets' goalie rotation changed?

The team had been rotating Greaves and Merzļikins as starters, but Greaves recently started 3 games in 4 days due to Merzļikins' illness.

How are the Blue Jackets' coaches handling the goalie decisions?

The coaches engage in heated debates to determine the best starting goalie for each game, consulting the front office to make the "intelligent decision."

Home / Sports / Blue Jackets Shake Up Goalie Rotation Amid Illness and Tight Schedule

Blue Jackets Shake Up Goalie Rotation Amid Illness and Tight Schedule

15 Nov

•

Summary

Blue Jackets coach rotated goalies Greaves and Merzļikins for first 14 games
Greaves started 3 games in 4 days due to Merzļikins' illness
Coaches debate goalie decisions, trust both players to give team a chance to win

Blue Jackets Shake Up Goalie Rotation Amid Illness and Tight Schedule

In the first month of the 2025-26 NHL season, the Columbus Blue Jackets had a clear pattern for their starting goaltender - it was simply a matter of who had started the previous game. Head coach Dean Evason rotated between Jet Greaves and Elvis Merzļikins, with each goalie starting 7 of the first 14 games.

However, this rotation was recently disrupted during a tough stretch for the Blue Jackets. Greaves started 3 games in 4 days, including back-to-back contests in Edmonton and Seattle, as well as a home game against the Oilers. This heavy workload for the rookie goaltender was due to Merzļikins' illness, as the team's general manager Don Waddell revealed that Merzļikins "had the flu" and "couldn't practice."