The Toronto Maple Leafs are working to pull off a blockbuster trade the day before the NHL regular season begins for the 2026-27 campaign.
The big names involved are Matthew Knies and Kirill Marchenko, but the other side of the trade, the Columbus Blue Jackets, could also look to offload a goalie on Toronto.
The name Elvis Merzlikins is the latest to show up in Elliotte Friedman’s reporting as a potential inclusion in this deal:
I believe Toronto is taking Elvis Merzlikins if this goes through
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) September 28, 2026
Merzlikins once had a lot of promise, but he’d be a fascinating inclusion in a deal like this at this point.
For what it’s worth, Merzlikins listed his Columbus house for sale recently, so maybe he saw something like this coming.
Who is Elvis Merzlikins?
Merzlikins is a 32-year old goalie from Latvia.
He was originally the No. 76 overall pick by the Blue Jackets in the 2014 NHL Draft. He came to North America in 2019 after playing in Switzerland for a handful of years.
Merzlikins took the NHL by storm in his first couple seasons.
He had a 92.3 save percentage as a rookie, then a 91.6 save percentage in his second year, 2020-21.
His save percentage dropped to 90.7, then went under 90% for four consecutive seasons.
He’s no longer the starting goalie for the Blue Jackets. That’s now belonging to a younger netminder, Jet Greaves.
Elvis Merzlikins Name
Believe it or not, Merzlikins is named after famed musician Elvis Presley.
Merzlikins’ dad was a fan of Elvis, and so he got the name.
Why Would Maple Leafs Trade for Goalie Elvis Merzlikins?
The Maple Leafs don’t necessarily need Merzlikins, but his inclusion in the deal would be about more than on-ice contributions.
Merzlikins has a $5.4 million cap hit for the season ahead, and part of the reason the Blue Jackets would trade Marchenko (and Merzlikins) is that they’re up against it for the salary cap on the eve of the season.
If they’re taking back Matthew Knies, as has been reported, the Blue Jackets would need to clear some more salary. Merzlikins would be the obvious candidate.
The Maple Leafs wouldn’t have to worry about playing Merzlikins immediately anyway.
Elvis Merzlikins Injury
Merzlikins begins the 2026-27 NHL season with an injury. He had shoulder surgery in August, and at the time was announced as being out indefinitely.
He didn’t appear in the preseason and appears to still have some recovery time.
The Maple Leafs could push the problem of goalie playing time down the road, when potentially things will have worked themselves out one way or another.
Of course, the rumored trade would have to become official. But it certainly has some layers to it.
Who is Elvis Merzlikins? Why Maple Leafs Would Trade for Goalie