Olivier has one assist and seven PIMs in eight games played to start 2022-23 prior to heading to the press box as the odd man out of the Blue Jackets' lineup. Liam Foudy will take his place Friday.
Merzlikins stopped five of six shots (.833 SV%) his last time out taking the crease as he came in as relief in a 6-3 loss to Arizona Tuesday. Merzlikins has struggled to find his footing this season, posting a .863 SV% and 4.06 GAA through five starts. He draws the task of taking on a surging Boston Bruins team that is coming off a 5-1 victory last night over the Detroit Red Wings to continue their four-game winning streak and move their record to 7-1-0.
Elvis will draw his third start of the season after stopping 32 of 35 shots in an overtime win over the Vancouver Canucks Tuesday. After missing Columbus' first two games due to injury, he has struggled in his two starts going 1-0-1 with a 3.90 GAA and .867 SV%. He faces the struggling Predators who have dropped their last three contest.
Elvis Merzlikins will draw his second start of the season as the winless Columbus Blue Jackets host the Vancouver Canucks in the battle of zero-win teams. After missing the first two games of 2022-23 due to illness, Merzlikins was shelled in his return to action allowing five goals on 25 shots in a 5-2 loss to the St. Louis Blues. He will hope to right the ship and get Columbus into the win column for the first time in four games.
Merzlikins will get his first start of 2022-23 after missing Columbus’ opening two matchups due to illness. The 28-year-old had his worst of his three seasons in 2021-22, posting a .907 SV% alongside his high 3.22 GAA. He will look to bounce back this season as the Blue Jackets take on St. Louis on the road Saturday.
With Elvis Merzlikins out, the Blue Jackets sent Johnson to the AHL to make room to call-up Jet Greaves to serve as the backup in Carolina.
Elvis Merzlikins is sick and will not be available for the Blue Jackets' season opener, so Greaves will serve as Danill Tarasov's backup in Carolina. Greaves was 12-12-2 with a 2.84 GAA and .905 SV% in the AHL last season.
Merzlikins will miss the Blue Jackets' season opener in Carolina with an illness. With Merzlikins out, Danill Tarasov will get the start, and Jet Greaves was recalled to be the backup.
Aston-Reese was on a PTO during the preseason and turned it into a one-year deal with the Maple Leafs. Aston-Reese is a strong two-way winger, who had 15 points (5G / 10A) in 69 games last season. He'll be in the Maple Leafs' bottom-6 to begin the season.
Gillies appeared in 20 NHL games a season ago, going 3-10-2 with a 3.70 GAA and .887 SV% with the Blues (1 game) and Devils (19 games). In Arizona he will battle with Ivan Prosvetov for playing time behind Karel Vejmelka.
Gaudreau spent the first nine years of his NHL career with the Flames and is coming off of the best season of his career. He set career-higher in goals (40), assists (75) and points (115) in 82 games. Gaudreau played almost exclusively with Elias Lindholm and Matthew Tkachuk, which was one of the best lines in the NHL. In Columbus, he won't have the same quality of linemates, so replicating his 115-point season is going to be next to impossible. Still, he should elevate the games of someone like Patrik Laine and should have no trouble getting to 30-plus goals and 50-plus assists.
Olivier was a key member of the Predators in 2021 but fell behind the eight-ball with an injury in 2022, spending most of the year in the AHL. The rugged winger has seven points (3G / 4A) and 102 hits in 48 career NHL games. He'll likely be a fringe roster player for the Blue Jackets in 2022-23.
