The Columbus Blue Jackets finished the 2024-25 season fourth in the Metropolitan Division standings, winning 40 games and losing 33. The team looked poised to make it to the playoffs, but when it didn’t, the community knew why: the Blue Jackets’ goaltending situation needed to be fixed.
Recently, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman’s discussion on the subject has triggered further discourse.
Columbus Blue Jackets Fans Have Adverse Reactions to the Team’s Goaltending
Throughout the season, the franchise received subpar goaltending. Many felt that even average goaltending would have secured a playoff berth for the team, given its fantastic form the past season.
In an NHL Rumour Report post, Friedman discussed the Blue Jackets’ goalie situation on the “32 Thoughts” podcast and asked if the current arrangement is acceptable to the community. “…it looks like Jet Greaves and Elvis Merzlikins, is everybody okay with that?”
Elliotte Friedman: Re Columbus goaltending: We’ll see what’s going to happen in goal, it looks like Jet Greaves and Elvis Merzlikins, is everybody okay with that? – 32 Thoughts Podcast
— NHL Rumour Report (@NHLRumourReport) July 12, 2025
The Blue Jackets rely heavily on two goaltenders: Merzļikins and Greaves. Although once a force to be reckoned with, the former has failed to deliver in the past few seasons. The franchise’s starting goalie, Merzļikins, is a two-time Jacques Plante Trophy winner with a career-best save percentage of .923. However, the Latvian goalie has failed to repeat the feat over the last three seasons, hitting a career low in the 2022-23 season, registering a .876 save percentage.
On the other hand, Greaves has been a more reliable performer, with an average save percentage of .924 and a career best of .939.
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Blue Jackets fans took to the comment section, dissecting the team’s goalie situation, discussing how the team’s management could have surely done better than they did.
One fan quickly affirmed his faith in Greaves but suggested that the team should have traded Merzļikins and retained Daniil Tarasov. “Though I’m super intrigued by Jet, they still should’ve bought out Merz and kept Tarasov.” Tarasov was traded to the Florida Panthers in June in return for a fifth-round pick in the 2025 NHL draft.
Though I’m super intrigued by Jet, they still should’ve bought out Merz and kept Tarasov.
— randy (@agentofascent) July 12, 2025
Yet another user reiterated that the team would be better off without Merzļikins. Answering Friedman’s question about whether the community is okay with the team’s current goalie situation, the fan set the record straight. “no we are not okay with that. buy out elvis and trade for a real starter”.
no we are not okay with that. buy out elvis and trade for a real starter
— plas (@plsplsplas) July 12, 2025
A third suggested that trading for the New Jersey Devils’ left winger, Ondrej Palat, would solve the team’s problems. “They can trade for Ondrej Palat and all their problems will disappear”.
Another user sneakily poked fun at the Edmonton Oilers’ goaltending situation, referring to Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard’s jersey numbers. “Just as ok as the Oilers are with 74 30”. Skinner is number 74, and Pickard is 30. The Oilers’ poor goalie situation became clearer when Panthers’ Sergei Bobrovsky put on the fiercest show at the Stanley Cup finals, leaving Skinner thinking that maybe he needs to chat with the Panthers goalie to see how he gets it done.
The Blue Jackets fan base displays little faith in the team’s goaltending arrangement. More precisely, starter Merzļikins seems to have his work cut out for him to regain his star status. But as of now, the 31-year-old is recuperating from a concussion he incurred in April.
