COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Blue Jackets have agreed to a five-year, $27 million contract extension with goalie Elvis Merzlikins, which the team announced Tuesday.
Merzlikins, 27, has split time in net the past two seasons with Joonas Korpisalo, who is still with the team and is a pending unrestricted free agent in the final year of his contract.
Merzlikins is also in the final year of his current deal, which pays him $4 million and carries the same number as a charge against the NHL salary cap. His next contract will carry a cap charge of $5.4 million, last through 2026-27 and take him to age 32.
In terms of actual salary paid per year on the deal, he will take home $5.25 million the first season, $6 million in 2023-24 and 2024-25, $5.525 million in 2025-26 and $4.225 million in the final season (2026-27).
