Blue Jackets’ Merzlikins to miss start of 2026-27 after failing physical

Sep 16, 2026, 2:31 PM ET|Comments (0)

from Daily Faceoff (Frank Seravalli),

When speaking to the media on Wednesday, Columbus Blue Jackets general manager Don Waddell revealed that goaltender Elvis Merzlikins failed his preseason physical, meaning he will miss the start of the 2026-27 regular season.

The news comes as Merzlikins continues to recover from offseason shoulder surgery , which he had last month in Vail, Colo. The Latvian netminder was hurt during training over the summer, and no timeline was given at the time of the operation. Waddell reiterated that it’s not yet known when Merzlikins could be back on the ice.

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