Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Elvis Merzlikins had shoulder surgery Monday, the team announced Thursday, and there’s still no clear timeline for when he’ll be back.
The Blue Jackets said Merzlikins will be re-evaluated in a few weeks, which is when the club expects to have a better sense of his recovery and return. Don Waddell, the team’s president of hockey operations and general manager, said Merzlikins first brought up the issue after feeling discomfort during offseason workouts.
"Elvis informed us a few weeks ago that he was experiencing some discomfort in his shoulder during his offseason workouts," Blue Jackets president of hockey operations and general manager Don Waddell said. "Following an MRI, it was determined that surgery was the best course of action. He'll be evaluated again in a few weeks, at which time we'll have a clearer idea on when he will be back on the ice."
The surgery comes after a difficult season for the 32-year-old Latvian. Merzlikins posted an .883 save percentage in 30 games last year and eventually lost the Blue Jackets’ No. 1 goaltending job to Jet Greaves.
Even with last season’s struggles, Merzlikins has built a long track record in Columbus. Over seven seasons with the Blue Jackets, he owns a career .900 save percentage, along with 108 wins and 274 games played. Both of those marks rank second in franchise history, behind only Sergei Bobrovsky.
Merzlikins is now in the final year of his contract, which carries a $5.4-million cap hit.
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