COLUMBUS, Ohio — For the first month of the season, predicting the Columbus Blue Jackets’ starting goaltender from game to game was as simple as asking yourself a question: Who started the last game?
Though he repeatedly (and oddly) denied it, Blue Jackets coach Dean Evason settled into a rotation with goaltenders Jet Greaves and Elvis Merzļikins. Greaves started the season opener, then Merzļikins played the second game, and off they went, back and forth for the first 14 games (seven starts apiece) of the season.
That’s why Evason’s decisions this week have raised eyebrows.
The rotation was broken during the first really rough patch in the Blue Jackets’ season. Greaves started on Monday in Edmonton and the following night in Seattle, then got the nod again for Thursday’s 5-4 win over the Oilers in Nationwide Arena.
That’s three starts in four days, along with a flight from Edmonton to Seattle and another from Seattle to Columbus. If ever there were a need for a back-up goaltender …
Evason said before Thursday’s game that the decision to start Greaves again on Thursday — he made 21 of his 25 saves in the second and third periods — was not due to health-related reasons for Merzļikins.
Thursday’s game marked the third straight start for goalie Jet Greaves. (Jason Mowry / Getty Images)
But that’s why Greaves started Tuesday’s game in Seattle, GM Don Waddell told The Athletic.
“Elvis had the flu, like a lot of guys,” Waddell said. “He couldn’t practice. And, with Dean, if you can’t practice, you can’t play.
“That second night (of the back-to-back), Elvis said, ‘I can play, but I’m not 100 percent.’ And Dean said, ‘If you can’t practice, you’re not playing.’ Plus, Jet played so well, there’s no reason to throw (Elvis) in there.”
Dialed in! ✈️ pic.twitter.com/1GElgzyO6L
— Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) November 12, 2025
Waddell said he met with Merzļikins on Thursday, “and he is pretty sick.” But on Friday, Merzļikins indicated to a reporter that he was feeling better.
There is no indication that Merzļikins’ stick-smashing tirade at the end of the 3-2 loss to the New York Islanders on Nov. 2 — the start of the season-long, five-game road trip — had any bearing on Evason’s lineup decisions.
Proof: Merzļikins started two games later in Vancouver. It should be noted, though, that Evason has made it clear that he isn’t a fan of Merzļikins coming unglued, even at the end of a frustrating loss.
Evason said after Friday’s practice that the recent run of play is not an indication that Greaves has emerged as the Blue Jackets’ No. 1 goaltender, with Merzļikins assuming a classic back-up role.
Despite Greaves’ recent heavy workload, Evason said the starting goaltender for each game remains a day-by-day decision.
On Friday, he would not announce the starting goaltender for Saturday’s game against the New York Rangers in Nationwide Arena. That will be known after the morning skate on Saturday, he said.
“We still trust both guys,” Evason said. “We’re still excited about both guys. We feel very comfortable putting either one in, whichever one we choose. We feel like it’s an easy decision, because both have played very well and both give us a chance to win.”
Greaves is 5-4-1 with an .897 save percentage and 3.00 goals-against average. Merzļikins is 4-3-0 with a .908 save percentage and a 3.14 goals-against average.
After ranking as one of the NHL’s top tandems through the first month of the season, Greaves and Merzļikins are now (combined) ranked 11th in the NHL with a .902 save percentage. The Blue Jackets have been 20th (.896, 2024-25), 22nd (.900, ’23-24), 29th (.891, ’22-23), 25th (.901, ’21-22) and 23rd (.904, ’20-21) the past five seasons.
Evason said Merzļikins and Greaves (who is in his first full NHL season) would battle for the No. 1 job during training, but he was impressed enough with both of them that he planned to keep them busy.
And with the NHL’s compacted schedule because of the three-week break in February for the Olympics — the Blue Jackets have 15 back-to-backs on the schedule this season — having two reliable goaltenders is a necessity.
Saves of the game aren’t just for goalies anymore! 🤩
With the game on the line, Elvis and Provy combined for last night’s @ADS__Inc Save of the Game! pic.twitter.com/5pHMWMz6kx
— Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) October 26, 2025
Evason has pushed back repeatedly at any mention of a goaltending “rotation.”
“I swear I don’t think like that,” Evason said. “It wasn’t a conscious effort to go (back and forth), it truly wasn’t. It just worked out that way, and now (this week) it hasn’t.
“We’ll get in there (as coaches) and debate and make our choice (for Saturday vs. the Rangers).”
Evason put an emphasis on the world debate. And it sounds like there are more opinions in play than at the United Nations.
“The nice thing, at least for me as the head coach, is I trust our staff to communicate and make the right choice,” he said. “That’s not just the coaching staff, that’s talking to (Waddell) and (director of player personnel) Chris Clark and (director of hockey operations) Rick Nash to make the intelligent decision.
“I love the debates. It gets heated sometimes. But it’s a lot of fun, and it creates a bond within the coaching room.”
