Elvis Merzlikins Undergoes Shoulder Surgery, Leaving Blue Jackets Crease in Chaos

The Columbus Blue Jackets' crease has been a cursed piece of real estate for years, and now their highest-paid netminder is officially on the shelf.

Goaltender Elvis Merzlikins has undergone shoulder surgery and has no timeline for a return, according to a report from Daily Faceoff.

Merzlikins was sitting on a 3.00 goals-against average and an .897 save percentage through 45 games this season. Those numbers might not look like Vezina material, but playing goalie in Columbus is basically an extreme sport where the defense treats opposing forwards like VIP guests.

For anyone holding Blue Jackets tickets or eyeing the over/under on their upcoming games, this completely scrambles the math. Columbus is already a regular underdog on the moneyline, and losing their primary starter means the crease gets handed over to AHL call-ups like Jet Greaves.

Merzlikins is currently in the middle of a five-year contract carrying a $5.4 million cap hit. That is a massive chunk of change for a guy who has battled a laundry list of injuries and illnesses over the last few seasons, making it nearly impossible for him to find a consistent rhythm.

With no timeline for his return, Columbus has to figure out how to survive the rest of the schedule without their Latvian starter. Expect the Blue Jackets to lean heavily on their depth chart while opposing offenses circle Columbus on the calendar as a prime spot to pad their stats.