Blue Jackets’ Goaltending Situation Clouded by CoachS ambiguous Comments
Columbus, OH - November 15, 2025 – Questions are swirling around the status of Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Elvis Merzlikin as he remains sidelined despite recovering from a November 11 illness, with rookie Jet Greaves receiving a sustained run as the starting netminder. Head Coach Dean Evason has offered vague explanations regarding the shift in net, fueling speculation about a potential loss of confidence in the Latvian veteran.
Merzlikin has appeared in seven games this season, posting a 90.8% save percentage and a 3.14 goals-against average,with the Blue Jackets achieving four wins during his starts. however, Greaves has started the last four games, including tonight’s matchup against the New York Rangers, despite Merzlikin’s health. evason deflected direct questions about whether greaves had earned the starting role “based on merit,” stating, “We’ve talked about there being different circumstances, right? I won’t go into all the details, but there are different circumstances why he [Grīvzs] has played four games in a row.”
The situation has prompted scrutiny as the Blue jackets navigate a competitive Metropolitan Division. Evason emphasized continued faith in both goaltenders, saying, “We still have confidence in both guys, we’re excited about both of them. We feel very comfortable with either of them. We think it’s an easy decision [par to, kurš sargās vārtus] because they both played very well and gave us a chance to win.” He also denied a pre-season plan to rotate goaltenders, clarifying, ”I swear I didn’t mean it that way – that [ka sākotnēji katrā spēlē mainījām vārtsargu] really wasn’t a conscious decision. It just worked that way, but it hasn’t this week.”
greaves, 24, has a 90.4% save percentage and a 2.79 goals-against average in 11 appearances. The Blue Jackets currently hold a 7th-place position in the Metropolitan Division with 20 points in 18 games, trailing the playoff cutoff by two points.
