A turbulent offseason for the Blue Jackets got another big bump Aug. 20 with the announcement that goalie Elvis Merzlikins underwent shoulder surgery Aug. 17 that will keep him out an undetermined length of time.
Merzlikins, 32, has one season remaining on a five-year contract that carries a $5.4 million charge against the NHL’s salary cap.
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“Elvis informed us a few weeks ago that he was experiencing some discomfort in his shoulder during his offseason workouts,” Blue Jackets president/general manager Don Waddell said in a statement. “Following an MRI, it was determined that surgery was the best course of action. He’ll be evaluated again in a few weeks, at which time we’ll have a clearer idea on when he will be back on the ice.”
Merzlikins was expected to open training camp in September as the backup to Jet Greaves, who surpassed him for the top goaltending role last season and agreed to a three-year, $15 million contract extension July 23 after nearly going to salary arbitration.
More: What Jet Greaves’ $15 million extension means for the Columbus Blue Jackets
Merzlikins’ surgery happened at an interesting time in the Blue Jackets‘ offseason, happening roughly one month before training camp is set to open Sept. 16 at Nationwide Arena. They still haven’t found common ground on a contract with young star Adam Fantilli, their top center, and his new annual cap charge could push them over the league’s cap ceiling of $104 million.
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According to PuckPedia, without getting cap relief by placing Merzlikins or injured depth center Isac Lundestrom (Achilles) on long-term injured reserve, the Blue Jackets have $12.645 million in cap space with 14 forwards, seven defensemen and three goalies signed.
That might not be enough to re-sign Fantilli, whose next salary level could approach that of his peers from the top of the 2023 NHL Draft.
Leo Carlsson, picked second overall by the Anaheim Ducks, makes an NHL-high $18 million per season over the next five years, after the Ducks matched a contract offer sheet from the Philadelphia Flyers, and Connor Bedard, picked first by the Chicago Blackhawks, has a new a five-year deal worth $15 million a season.
Fantilli, selected third overall, has posted almost identical numbers to Carlsson over their first three seasons, so his next contract could approach $14 million to $15 million per season on a five-year term. That number could drop with a shorter-length deal, but there’s still no guarantee that would keep the Blue Jackets cap compliant without LTIR relief.
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The NHL allows teams to exceed the cap’s upper limit by up to 10% during the summer, so the Blue Jackets would be fine until the league’s deadline for compliance at 5 p.m. ET on Sept. 28, the day before the regular season begins. Should Fantilli push them over $104 million, the Blue Jackets could gain roughly $6.5 million in cap relief by placing Merzlikins and Lundestrom on LTIR that day.
Dispatch Blue Jackets/Crew reporter Brian Hedger can be reached at bhedger@dispatch.com
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Who long is Elvis Merzlikins out? Blues Jackets goalie has shoulder surgery
