There is a chance that we will get to see a Round 2 between Columbus Blue Jackets goaltender Elvis Merzlikins and Washington Capitals forward Tom Wilson after all.
Just a few weeks after the two Metropolitan Division foes squared off inside Merzlikins’ net, trading punches, Merzlikins revealed in a postgame press conference on Monday that he has requested a trade out of Columbus.
The Capitals and Blue Jackets have already wrapped up their season series so a trade could lead to Merzlikins landing on a team that still has the Capitals on their schedule in the second half of the year.
Merzlikins, who was the victorious goaltender in Columbus’ 4-3 shootout win, was animated in his media availability after the win. In addition to publicly confirming his desire to be moved to another team, he also explicitly laid out his frustrations about playing time and needing to win due to how angry he is.
“I’m really happy for the boys – everyone knows I requested a trade and everyone was still here and playing for me,” Merzlikins told 1st Ohio Battery’s Colby Maeir. “They were blocking shots for me and this is awesome. I really appreciate them.”
While the Latvian netminder was generally calm and complimentary of his teammates in his general media availability, he saved his complaints for Bally Sports Columbus in a live TV interview.
A fiery Elvis Merzlikins said he wanted to take advantage of his chance to play today and said he needed this win.
Merzlikins was playing for the first time since December 29. #CBJ | @BlueJacketsNHl pic.twitter.com/mI4DErMzW4
— Bally Sports Columbus (@BallySportsCBUS) January 15, 2024
“It definitely wasn’t an easy game for me,” Merzlikins said. “I didn’t play a while. When I’m gonna have my chance, I’m not going to have time. I have to get right away in the moment, in the game. I didn’t play awhile. At the start of the game, I did not feel well the puck. Each period was better and better.
“I’m just mad. I’m gonna tell you, honestly. I’m mad and I’m pulling out the monster out of me now. There was no other choices than win. I needed this win. I needed this win and I got it and now I’m laughing.”
Merzlikins is no stranger to a fiery postgame interview. After his fracas with Wilson and the Capitals, he claimed that he believed Wilson was out to intentionally injure him.
“I’m pretty sure he was trying to get me hurt,” Merzlikins said. “I was just trying to get my stick. I got punched. Enough. I’m going to defend myself.
“Watch the replay. He was going straight for my knee. I could be out for the rest of season. He got what he deserved. I don’t care. Seriously, I could be out for season. He was going straight in my knee at full speed.”
ELVIS MERZLIKINS vs. TOM WILSON 😳 pic.twitter.com/rX6W41IQRV
— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) December 22, 2023
That play led to Merzlikins handing the Capitals a game-deciding power play that Alex Ovechkin scored on. As Merzlikins left the ice, Wilson and other players chirped and stared at him.
The admission of trade request comes three days after Merzlikins said there was no request submitted and that the two parties had simply come to an agreement to “find a new scenario,” per The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline.
Both the goalie and the organization denied that the Wilson incident had anything to do with the situation according to Blue Jackets team reporter Jeff Svoboda but Merzlikins has only played in three of the team’s last 10 games since that matchup against Washington.
“(Wilson) got in my mind,” Merzlikins said. “Good job by him. It burns a little bit. We had a great 60 minutes. We could win that game. I let down my team. I felt bad.”
Monday’s start was his first in the new year after Columbus handed the starter’s reins to Daniil Tarasov.
Merzlikins became the Blue Jackets’ starter when he signed a five-year contract extension in 2021 that held an average annual value of $5.4 million. Since then, he has fallen out of favor and is now on the trade block after amassing a 8-8-6 record this season with a 3.22 goals-against average and a .906 save percentage.
The process of moving him won’t be easy both due to the size and length of his contract and because he has a 10-team no-trade list baked into it.
Screenshot via Columbus Blue Jackets
