Newly appointed General Manager Don Waddell has his work cut out for him with the Columbus Blue Jackets as he looks to make them a playoff team in the coming years.
One area of weakness for the Columbus Blue Jackets last season was in between the pipes, as Elvis Merzlikins didn't have a great year. Merzlikins' name has come up in trade rumours, especially ahead of the deadline in March, but nothing materialized.
Many were wondering if the Blue Jackets would explore a potential move this summer, but Waddell shut that down in his introductory press conference on Thursday and was pretty blunt about the reason why - Merzlikins' contract. He also ruled out the possibility of a buyout too.
"Let's be honest, nobody is going to trade for that contract. Nobody," Waddell told The Athletic's Aaron Portzline. "People say, 'Well, why don't you buy out the contract?' It's a six-year buyout, and there are Years 3, 4, 5 and 6, when you might need that cap space.
Merzlikins, 30, appeared in 41 games this season for the Blue Jackets where he had a record of 13-17-8 with a 3.45 goals against average, an .897 save percentage and one shutout. The Riga native has three years remaining on his contract with a cap hit of $5.4 million.
The Blue Jackets are wanting to take a big step next season and there's no doubt they have the pieces to do so, but this summer will be big for Don Waddell. If Elvis Merzlikins has a strong training camp and start to the 2024-25 season, the Columbus Blue Jackets could be in a good position.
