Columbus Blue Jackets place goalie Elvis Merzlikins on IR

Feb 20, 2021; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Elvis Merzlikins (90) reaches with his stick to defend the net against the Nashville Predators in the second period at Nationwide Arena. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports

Feb 20, 2021; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Elvis Merzlikins (90) reaches with his stick to defend the net against the Nashville Predators in the second period at Nationwide Arena. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports

The Columbus Blue Jackets placed goaltender Elvis Merzlikins on injured reserve Tuesday with an upper-body injury.

The move is retroactive to Feb. 20, and the 26-year-old Latvian is considered week-to-week.

Merzlikins is 3-3-1 with a 2.81 goals-against average, a .917 save percentage and one shutout in nine games this season. He surrendered four goals on Saturday before leaving early in the third period of a 4-2 loss to the Nashville Predators.

A third-round pick in 2014, Merzlikins is 16-12-9 with six shutouts, a 2.44 GAA and .921 save percentage in 42 games (38 starts) since making his debut on Oct. 5, 2019.

In a corresponding move, Columbus recalled goaltender Matiss Kivlenieks to the roster from the taxi squad.

Kivlenieks, 24, went 1-1-2 with a 2.95 GAA and .898 save percentage in six games with the Blue Jackets in 2019-20.

Columbus hosts the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday night.

–Field Level Media

Exit mobile version