Future Watch: Elvis Merzlikins Rookie Hockey Cards, Blue Jackets – Elvis Merzlikins was selected by the Columbus Blue Jackets with the 73rd overall pick in the 2014 NHL Draft. With a name like Elvis comes expectations and so far, he’s delivered.
This Latvian goalie represented his country many times in a lot of different tournaments. In 2010 he had an amazing .978 save percentage. He won a gold medal and was voted best goalie in that tournament.
In 2013-14, while playing for NLA in the Swiss League, he had a .924 save percentage in 22 games. He walked away with the Most Improved Player Award and Youngster of the Year.
Twice more he won the Jacques Plante Goaltender of the Year Award in the NLA. Besides that, he was on the Spengler Cup All-Star team in 2016-17. A few other former NHLers played in that tournament including for Blue Jackets defenseman, James Wisniewski, and former Florida Panthers forward, Drew Shore, representing their home countries. The talent level is really good in that tournament.
Here’s a look at some of his beautiful, chaotic saves:
2019-20 was a special year for him playing for both the Cleveland Monsters in the AHL and the Columbus Blue Jackets. For Cleveland, he played in two games where he posted a 1.52 save percentage and a .949 save percentage in two starts. Merzlikins played in 33 games during the 2019-20 NHL season. He racked up 13 wins, enroute to a .923 save percentage with five shutouts.
At 26-years of age, he could get some Calder votes but more importantly, he might get to see some time in the playoffs when the NHL starts back up and so far, they’re on track for just that.
Goalies are collectible, this one is very collectible because he’s burst on the scene in very dramatic fashion.
Collectors can find Elvis Merzlikins’s 2019-20 Young Guns Rookie Card in Upper Deck Series 2 Hockey. He also has NHL licensed rookie cards in other 2019-20 Upper Deck products including SP Authentic, SP Game-Used and O-Pee-Chee Platinum, to name a few.
Future Watch: Elvis Merzlikins Rookie Hockey Cards, Blue Jackets – Stats
| Goalie Stats | Scoring | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Age | Tm | Lg | GP | GS | W | L | T/O | GA | SA | SV | SV% | GAA | SO | MIN | QS | QS% | RBS | GA%- | GSAA | GAA | GPS | G | A | PTS | PIM | Awards |
| 2019-20 | 25 | CBJ | NHL | 33 | 31 | 13 | 9 | 8 | 71 | 919 | 848 | .923 | 2.35 | 5 | 1815 | 17 | .548 | 3 | 85 | 12.10 | 2.48 | 6.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Career | 1 yr | NHL | 33 | 31 | 13 | 9 | 8 | 71 | 919 | 848 | .923 | 2.35 | 5 | 1815 | 17 | .548 | 3 | 85 | 2.48 | 6.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
Future Watch: Elvis Merzlikins Rookie Hockey Cards, Blue Jackets – More Resources
- NHL.com Player Profile – Elvis Merzlikins
- Elvis Merzlikins – Secondary Market Pricing
- Beckett Card Catalog – Elvis Merzlikins Hockey Cards
Future Watch: Elvis Merzlikins Rookie Hockey Cards, Blue Jackets – Image Gallery
For more from Russ Cohen, follow him on Twitter @sportsology.
Russ Cohen
is the author of several top-selling sports related books.
Baseball’s Best Rookies
Numbers Don’t Lie: Mets: The Biggest Numbers in Mets History
100 Ranger Greats: Superstars, Unsung Heroes and Colorful Characters
100 Things Rangers Fans Should Know & Do Before They Die
“Strike Three!” – A Player’s Journey through the Infamous Baseball Strike of 1994
The Winter Classic: The NHL’s Savior
The Philadelphia Flyers: Images of Sports
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