Edmonton Oilers Linked To New Starting Goalie By NHL Insider

Today Frank Seravalli joined 630 CHED a radio station in Edmonton to talk about the Oilers. In his discussions with Oilers radio broadcaster Bob Stauffer Seravalli suggested a new option for the Oilers to consider in net.

Stauffer also added to the conversation saying that he knows several players have a lot of respect for Merzlikins. With all of these factors in mind, Merzlikins sounds like a great cultural fit for the Oilers going forward. However, is he the right guy to hand the keys to?

Elvis Merzlikins is a well-known goaltender around the NHL and took over the full-time starting job in Columbus back in 2021-22.

In Merzlikins 5 year NHL career he has had various highs and lows. His best season came in 2019-20 as the backup playing 30 games he had a 2.35 goals against average and a 0.923 save percentage. Over the past two years, Merzlikins has regressed heavily. With a goals-against average over 3 and a save percentage below .900, Merzlikins has not found consistency.

If the Oilers were to trade for Merzlikins they would be hoping for a return to form behind a more explosive offensive team. However, if they are going to give up assets for a player like Elvis Merzlikins they will likely wait until his price dips to a significant discount or his play improves dramatically.