Jackets buying out Merzlikins.

 CBJ buying out Merzlikins in offseason.

In today’s blog post we are looking at the Columbus Blue Jackets as I saw a article talking about Aaron Portzline, as Portzline who does cover the Columbus Blue Jackets a little bit says that he wonders if the Blue Jackets might consider a Elvis Merzlikins buyout.

Now Merzlikins I believe has two years left at $5.5 million, now at the beginning of that contract it looked really good, but over the past couple of years Merzlikins play has definitely gone down a little bit and he's been in the rumour mill for the last year and definitely seems like the Jackets really want to move on from him, now I think their first option would be a trade or even a trade with retained salary, but if they can't find any sort of a trade that would work for them I could see them go down the path of a buyout because Merzlikins is not looking overly good and there's a very likely chance that this team's going to want some new goaltenders next year.

So they still have 2 young goalies like Tarasov and Greaves in the minors and they could try and have them maybe challenge for like a backup role next year, but they need a new starter as Merzlikins is just not working out overly well in Columbus, so Portzline wonders if there's a possibility the Jackets would pull the trigger on a buyout.

Eric Hartline Imagn Images

So Merzlikins who does have two years left on his deal, if he was to be bought out of this $5.5 million cap hit, he'll be under contract for $1.5 million for this upcoming season for the Jackets, $2.8 for the next year and then $1.625 for the two years following, so it actually would save them quite a bit of money and it would get them out of what has turned out to be a really bad contract even though they would have him on their books for 2 extra seasons. 

So we'll have to wait and see as I wouldn't be surprised if the Jackets went this route given Merzlikins not being consistent over the past two years, but I also wouldn't be surprised if they tried to get a trade for him and maybe even retained a little bit of money first, so we're going to have to wait and see on that, but keep your eye on the Jackets as Merzlikins after another poor season may be on his way out and with the Jackets most likely missing the playoffs, it does sound like the Jackets might go for a goaltending overhaul this off-season and Aaron Portzline does wonder if they go for a buyout of Merzlikins so we'll have to have and see on that.