Elvis Merzlikins Traded to Maple Leafs While Recovering from Injury

Goaltender Elvis Merzlikins was traded from the Columbus Blue Jackets to the Toronto Maple Leafs along with Kirill Marchenko and Miles Wood for Matthew Knies, Emil Andrae, Steven Lorentz, and a draft pick. Columbus retained 18% of his salary. Currently on long-term injured reserve following late-August shoulder surgery, his return timeline remains unclear. Merzlikins posted a 14-11-3 record with a 3.40 GAA and .883 save percentage across 30 games last season.