*Photo from Sportsnet*
The goalie who claimed he'd win the Vezina trophy in honor of Matiss Kivlenieks has just gotten paid. The Columbus Blue Jackets and G Elvis Merzlikins have agreed to a 5 year, $27 million extension, according to an announcement by the team. He'll earn $5.4 million annually when the deal starts in the 2022-2023 season, as he's finishing his entry level deal this year.
Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen said "Goaltending is a position of strength for our team, and Elvis Merzlikins has been an important part of that over the past two seasons, so we are very excited to have agreed to terms on a contract extension that will keep him in Columbus for at least the next six years. He is big, athletic and has a tremendous passion for the game, and we believe he will be an integral part of our success in the coming years."
Last season, Merzlikins appeared in 28 games for the Blue Jackets, getting the start in 23 of them. He posted a 8-12-5 record with a 2.77 GAA and a .916 save percentage and two shutouts. The 3rd round pick in 2014 has a career 21-21-13 record, with a 2.54 GAA and a .920 save percentage in 61 games played, 54 of which have been starts.
Entering this season, Merzlikins appears to continue to be in a timeshare in net with Joonas Korpisalo, who had a 9-13-7 record in 33 games last season, 31 of which were starts. Merzlikins has 7 career shutouts to his name since making his NHL debut in 2019, 5 years after being drafted by Columbus with the 76th overall pick. He has a 1-1 record in two career playoff games.
Merzlikins said of signing his extension that "Columbus is my home. I'm really happy that I'm still here with the team that choose me in the draft and the team who has believed in me and my game. The right decision is to stay because they choose me."
Since Merzlikins made his debut in 2019, he is tied for 4th in the NHL in save percentage with .920, tied for 5th in shutouts with 7, and is ranked 11th in GAA among goalies who have played a minimum of 50 games.
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