Blue Jackets' Elvis Merzlikins: Set to start Saturday

Merzlikins is expected to start on the road against Columbus on Saturday, per Aaron Portzline of The Athletic.

Merzlikins is making his first start of the campaign after Jet Greaves saved 29 of 31 shots in a 2-1 loss to Nashville on Thursday. Although Merzlikins didn't start in the opener, he still has an opportunity to claim the No. 1 gig, but he'll probably need to do better than he did in 2024-25 in order to secure the job. The 31-year-old posted a 26-21-5 record, 3.18 GAA and .892 save percentage in 53 outings with Columbus last year.