Merzlikins will make his 17th start of the season when the Blue Jackets travel to Vancouver to take on the Canucks on Friday. Merzlikins took the loss his last time out, allowing two goals on 21 shots in a 3-0 defeat in Calgary on Tuesday. The 30-year-old netminder owns an 8-6-2 record to go along with an .894 SV% and 3.00 GAA on the season. Merzlikins and the Blue Jackets enter action in Vancouver on Friday at +185 on the money line.
James van Riemsdyk will be a healthy scratch on Thursday, allowing Pyyhtia to re-enter the lineup for the first time since November 16th. The 22-year-old Pyyhtia is averaging 13:57 time-on-ice and has one point (1G / 0A) in 17 games.
Mikael Pyyhtia will draw back into the Blue Jackets lineup on Thursday against the Edmonton Oilers, resulting in van Riemsdyk being a healthy scratch. The 35-year-old van Riemsdyk is averaging 10:50 time-on-ice and has five points (3G / 2A) in 18 games.
Elvis Merzlikins played the last seven games for the Blue Jackets, but they will revert to Tarasov on Thursday against the Edmonton Oilers. The 25-year-old Tarasov has struggled this season, posting an ugly 4.04 GAA and .861 SV% in eight games (3-4-1). The Blue Jackets enter Thursday's contest as sizeable +240 road underdogs against an Oilers club shutout 1-0 on Tuesday by the Vegas Golden Knights.
The Blue Jackets have on five of their last six and will turn to Merzlikins between the pipes for the seventh consecutive game. The 30-year-old Merzlikins has a 3.07 GAA and .894 SV% in 15 appearances this season (8-5-2). The Blue Jackets enter Tuesday's contest as +111 road underdogs against a Calgary Flames club on a four-game losing skid (0-3-1).
LaBate was the 101st overall pick of the Vancouver Canucks in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft. He played 13 games with the Canucks, scoring zero points, in the 2016-17 season, but has exclusively been an AHL player since. The 31-year-old LaBate has four points (1G / 3A) in five games with the Cleveland Monsters (AHL) this season.
Sillinger will return to the lineup after a one-game absence due to an upper-body injury. The 21-year-old Sillinger already has 240 NHL games to his name and has been productive this season, scoring 12 points (3G / 9A) in 20 contests while averaging a career-high 18:06 time-on-ice.
Chinakhov has been one of the best offensive producers for the Blue Jackets this season but will not play on Friday. The 23-year-old is averaging a career-high 17:01 time-on-ice and has 14 points (7G / 7A) in 21 games this season.
The Blue Jackets will roll with Merzlikins between the pipes for a fifth straight game. Despite allowing four or more goals in three of his last four, Merzlikins has salvaged a 3-1-0 record. The 30-year-old Latvian netminder has a 3.15 GAA and .890 SV% in 13 games this season (6-5-2). The Blue Jackets enter the action on Friday as slight -108 home favorites against a Calgary Flames club riding a two-game losing skid.
Tarasov has not played since November 16th and will not suit on Friday due to an illness. The 25-year-old Tarasov has an ugly 4.04 GAA and .861 SV% in eight games this season (3-4-1). The Blue Jackets have recalled Jet Greaves from the Cleveland Monsters (AHL) on an emergency basis.
With Daniil Tarsov under the weather, the Blue Jackets have recalled Greaves from the AHL. The 23-year-old Greaves has a 3.23 GAA and .908 SV% in 11 games with the Cleveland Monsters (AHL) this season (7-3-1).
The Blue Jackets have been a part of some rollercoaster outings lately, most recently a 5-4 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes, and are riding a three-game winning streak. Despite an up-and-down 2024-25 campaign, Merzlikins has been serviceable between the pipes, including posting a .890 SV% during a four-game winning streak. The Blue Jackets enter Wednesday's contest as -167 home favorites against a Montreal Canadiens club that was defeated 3-2 in overtime last night by the Utah Hockey Club.
The 21-year-old Sillinger already has 240 NHL games to his name and has been productive this season, scoring 12 points (3G / 9A) in 20 contests while averaging a career-high 18:06 time-on-ice. He will not play on Wednesday due to an upper-body injury.
van Riemsdyk was in the lineup for the last two games but he'll be replaced by Kevin Labanc in the lineup on Saturday. van Riemsdyk has just five points (3G / 2A) in 14 games this season.
Labanc was a healthy scratch on Thursday but he's expected to replace James van Riemsdyk in the lineup on Saturday. Labanc has been pretty productive so far this season, picking up 10 points (1G / 9A) in 14 games.
