Line Combos: CBJ Roster Discussion/Line Combos/Injury Report

[CBJWerenski8]

Item No. 3: Change of scenery?​

We don’t often pitch trade proposals in this space, but the situation that began percolating again in Pittsburgh last week got us thinking.

The Penguins have a struggling goaltender, Tristan Jarry, under contract through 2027-28 with a $5.375 million salary-cap hit. Jarry, 29, is a two-time NHL All-Star, but he was pulled from his last start and has been yanked from three of his last six starts (dating to last season) in Pittsburgh’s PPG Paints Arena.

The Blue Jackets have a struggling goaltender, Elvis Merzlikins, under contract through 2026-27 with a $5.4 million salary-cap hit. Merzlikins, 30, hasn’t had a save percentage over .900 since 2021-22 and is off to a mediocre start this season.

Should the Blue Jackets and Penguins consider a change-of-scenery trade for their big-ticket goaltenders?

Waddell, soon after taking the job in Columbus last May, made it clear that “nobody is going to trade for (Merzlikins’) contract,” and that a contract buyout of Merzlikins, which would have lasted six years into the future, was not an option, either, as the Jackets may need the cap space in the final years with that buyout on the books.

But there’s always been an understanding in the NHL that “bad” contracts can be moved in exchange for bad contracts, and maybe there’s an opportunity here.

The salary-cap hits are almost a match. The money is close, too. Per Puckpedia, Merzlikins is set to make $6 million this season, $5.525 million in 2025-26 and $4.225 million in 2026-27, while Jarry will make $6.4 million this season, followed by $5.425 million (’25-26) and $4.125 in the final two years.
Jarry has one more year of term, which could be a sticking point for the Blue Jackets unless they believe Jarry is still a good goaltender who could be reinvigorated by a fresh start.

From the Penguins’ perspective, if they’re resigned to buying out Jarry’s contract after this season — Alex Nedeljkovic appears to be the starter in Pittsburgh until Joel Blomqvist is ready to ascend — an acquisition of Merzlikins would give them a contract with less term and an easier buyout.

One more wrinkle: Jarry has a 12-team no-trade clause, while Merzlikins has a 10-team no-trade list. It’s unclear which teams are on their lists.

Just something to ponder on a Sunday.

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[LJ7]

draft AND development. People really get worked up if a player doesn't reach their peak by 20

I get worked up when players have representation that gets in the way of proper development. If they had a great attitude and were grinding away without making a fuss but just not there yet physically then I would have no qualms. Kent Johnson was 21 last season and did not play great, maybe even worse than his rookie season, but I trusted him generally to approach his own development with the right attitude, he was HS'd to start last season and his agent was not out and about "provoking".

I still believe in Jiricek but he has such a long way to go. He looks so weak out there and his playstyle demands that he's quick and strong. That combined with the previous problematic approach Agent Provocateur took to handling his client getting sent down to develop frustrates me. I hope I end up wrong about this, peak Jiricek here would make our blueline mind bogglingly fun with Werenski and Mateychuk.

One thought is they wanted to avoid another dust-up with Jiricek, who spoke openly last season of his disappointment in being sent down, and his agent, Allan Walsh, who is known to defend his clients as loudly and fiercely as any agent in the NHL. But the sense in Columbus is they wanted to watch Jiricek closely and see how he responded to the stark realization that another GM and another coaching staff didn’t think he was playing well enough to crack the Blue Jackets lineup. “I had a chat with David this morning,” Evason said before Saturday’s 3-1 loss to the Minnesota Wild in Nationwide Arena. “You know, we’ve talked about earning the right to play and to be in that (dressing) room. If you don’t play, you have to earn the right to get into our lineup. “How do you do that? You’re practicing hard, you’re working out hard, and you’re doing it with a positive attitude. You’re working your ass off every day. You are detailed. You’re coachable. And you get yourself ready to play. We notice that. Coaches notice that. And when you have a guy who doesn’t go hard, who doesn’t practice well … well, sorry, you’re not going to play.” If Jiricek hadn’t done all those things, Evason said, he wouldn’t have made his season debut on Saturday. “If you do all the right things, you give yourself a better chance to earn the chance to get into our lineup,” Evason said. “He’s done that.”

The Jackets are waiting for MRI results from multiple specialists to determine if Johnson’s shoulder will need to be surgically repaired again.

That's great and all but he looked terrible to me last night. At least he seems to have a decent attitude towards what he needs to do by now. Perhaps what alarms me the most is the gulf between what him and the provocateur see in his game and reality. That is not a good sign.

 

[Viqsi]

"Agent Provocateur" has empowered his client to be years behind in his development and paved a way to put him on the ice in a league that he can't hang in. A true trailblazer. He broke the mold of developing defensemen in leagues that suit their skillset in order for them to be ready to succeed when they hit the NHL. I'm over it.

If we've decided we want to avoid Allan Walsh clients in the future, here's the list:

NHL Contracts by Agent Allan Walsh | Puckpedia

See the active player contracts and client list for Allan Walsh at Octagon Athlete Representation on PuckPedia.

puckpedia.com

We don't have anyone else he represents, and frankly I don't think any of the other guys he represents are on our trade or signing radar either. (Well, except for when we were looking at MaxPac earlier before he went with the Leafs.)

 

[majormajor]

I didn't think Jiricek looked bad last night. But I'm still not comfortable with him up here when he needs a lot more work on his fundamentals. The AHL is the right place for him. If he's reconciled to that fact, and he understands that it is a years long process, then we're fine. If he's not reconciled to that fact, then we have to more keenly look at trade offers.

 

[stevo61]

I get worked up when players have representation that gets in the way of proper development. If they had a great attitude and were grinding away without making a fuss but just not there yet physically then I would have no qualms. Kent Johnson was 21 last season and did not play great, maybe even worse than his rookie season, but I trusted him generally to approach his own development with the right attitude, he was HS'd to start last season and his agent was not out and about "provoking".

I still believe in Jiricek but he has such a long way to go. He looks so weak out there and his playstyle demands that he's quick and strong. That combined with the previous problematic approach Agent Provocateur took to handling his client getting sent down to develop frustrates me. I hope I end up wrong about this, peak Jiricek here would make our blueline mind bogglingly fun with Werenski and Mateychuk.


That's great and all but he looked terrible to me last night. At least he seems to have a decent attitude towards what he needs to do by now. Perhaps what alarms me the most is the gulf between what him and the provocateur see in his game and reality. That is not a good sign.

He wasn't terrible. Made some bad reads but also a few plays that show how he thinks the game. That said if he's going to be in the lineup don't p***yfoot around. Playing him with different partners on his off side without a regular shift is stupid. Harris and Johnson were both garbage that game. Play Jiricek with Harris for a game and shelter them as needed

 

[Iron Balls McGinty]

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Its been a week and AP is already pushing the scenery change narrative. I get that he can't always report what he hears without confirmation and/or additional sources but he talks so vaguely about Elvis it;s starting to feel like a personal agenda being pushed by someone. I know this isn't normal for him but in today's world where every trade rumor leaks out you'd think there would be more details in the rumor mill if there was any substance.

 

[majormajor]

Its been a week and AP is already pushing the scenery change narrative. I get that he can't always report what he hears without confirmation and/or additional sources but he talks so vaguely about Elvis it;s starting to feel like a personal agenda being pushed by someone. I know this isn't normal for him but in today's world where every trade rumor leaks out you'd think there would be more details in the rumor mill if there was any substance.

What is hidden here? Porty isn't reporting a trade rumor. He's transparently speculating about trade possibilities, the same thing we do here.

 

[Dead Coyote]

I think the thing I've noticed the most from watching Jiricek in the AHL is that he needs to play confident and quick, when he's his in his own head or second guessing himself he makes 1000x more blunders and brain dead plays. Not saying that he doesn't need to earn his spot or that he couldn't be doing more but he isn't exactly being put into a position to succeed either. Could be a combination of things. Young players do tend to do a lot better when they're giving a long leash though.

 

[koteka]

Its been a week and AP is already pushing the scenery change narrative. I get that he can't always report what he hears without confirmation and/or additional sources but he talks so vaguely about Elvis it;s starting to feel like a personal agenda being pushed by someone.

If your agent talks with Porty you are treated differently than if your agent doesn’t talk to Porty. My guess is Elvis’ agent doesn’t talk much with Porty so he is speculating.

 

[EDM]

So you are speculating about whether Porty is speculating ????

 

[cbjthrowaway]

He wasn't terrible. Made some bad reads but also a few plays that show how he thinks the game. That said if he's going to be in the lineup don't p***yfoot around. Playing him with different partners on his off side without a regular shift is stupid. Harris and Johnson were both garbage that game. Play Jiricek with Harris for a game and shelter them as needed

i sat about 10 rows up from ice level and thought jiricek was mostly good. there was one play where he was pressured along the boards and made a slick pass to get the puck out of danger and start the CBJ rush. also made a couple nice defensive plays.

there were a couple not-so-great moments during netfront battles, but he didn't look nearly as bad there as he did last year imo.

obviously he's not gonna be perfect, especially after being healthy scratched for a few games. the effort level is there and he has enough flashes of good that it's worth keeping him in the lineup.

jiricek occasionally making bad decisions isn't a reason to keep him out of the lineup given that 1) he's a young player that needs to learn and 2) they're keeping him out in favor of jack johnson who makes bad decisions all the time – including one the other night where he essentially gave the wild a 4-on-1 rush on his own.

 

[Iron Balls McGinty]

What is hidden here? Porty isn't reporting a trade rumor. He's transparently speculating about trade possibilities, the same thing we do here.

He always seems to be the first one beating the "get Elvis out of the locker room" horse with little to no context surrounding it. I'm just not sure what drives his narrative that nobody else ever picks up on or follows up with.

His tweet about "needs some rest" before the team ever announced what was happening just adds to fans to add their own interpretation to the reasons. You can just say he needs some rest but you don't have to put quotation marks around it to allude to skepticism like speaking in air quotes unless you want your readers to be skeptical too.

His writing is not normally like this, especially about other players, but it comes across to me as having an anti-Elvis agenda over the last year or so.

 

[CBJWerenski8]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1848371286663122991

https://x.com/i/web/status/1848372138064916593

https://x.com/i/web/status/1848367080803869007

 

[EspenK]

Hopefully Chinny gets Fantilli going not Fantilli cools off Chinny.

 

[cbjthrowaway]

He always seems to be the first one beating the "get Elvis out of the locker room" horse with little to no context surrounding it. I'm just not sure what drives his narrative that nobody else ever picks up on or follows up with.

plenty of others have picked up on it and it was especially clear after last year's debacle against washington that he is not well-liked in the room.

His tweet about "needs some rest" before the team ever announced what was happening just adds to fans to add their own interpretation to the reasons. You can just say he needs some rest but you don't have to put quotation marks around it to allude to skepticism like speaking in air quotes unless you want your readers to be skeptical too.

iirc don waddell would go off-book with beat writers all the time in carolina. would not be at all surprised if that's what happened here. it's sure seemed like portzline's been a lot better-informed since waddell took over.

So you are speculating about whether Porty is speculating ????

if pittsburgh offered an elvis-for-jarry swap straight up i don't know how the jackets would say no. he's a better goalie with a better track record, plus you're not just getting rid of a huge headache in elvis, but sending him to your biggest division rival?

it's worth the risk of the extra year imo.

 

[cbjthrowaway]

Hopefully Chinny gets Fantilli going not Fantilli cools off Chinny.

between the injuries and the lack of depth, evason had an impossible decision there.

i'm not gonna fault fantilli for not being able to carry justin danforth and zach aston-reese against one of the best defensive teams in the NHL. seeing as jvr looks cooked and lebanc looks even worse, the only options are:

1. keep everyone together and live with being a one-line team
2. break up the top line to give fantilli some more support
3. call up del bel belluz and throw him into the top six

of those options, i think #2 is the best at this juncture.

i do wonder if they end up claiming adam beckman off waivers. evason has familiarity with him (played a few games in minnesota) and he's still young at 23. doesn't seem like there are any useful forwards on the trade market yet, either. but they definitely need more bodies until voronkov and brindley get healthy.

 

[majormajor]

He always seems to be the first one beating the "get Elvis out of the locker room" horse with little to no context surrounding it. I'm just not sure what drives his narrative that nobody else ever picks up on or follows up with.

Anonymous sources on the team. Though my interpretation was that it's not like anyone has to be telling him new info on Elvis right now, he's heard it all about Elvis last year. The only recent comment I heard from Porty about the team and Elvis was that the team and Elvis have been making a new start and the leadership is bringing him back in.

I didn't get a hater vibe from the most recent piece. That Elvis needs a change of scenery is not an anti-Elvis position. He also needs it for his own sake.

His tweet about "needs some rest" before the team ever announced what was happening just adds to fans to add their own interpretation to the reasons. You can just say he needs some rest but you don't have to put quotation marks around it to allude to skepticism like speaking in air quotes unless you want your readers to be skeptical too.

Maybe. I read it as a euphemism (a necessary euphemism) and it was like the quotes were there to let the reader know that it wasn't to be taken literally. But I can see how the quotes could be read the way you read them.

 

[Double-Shift Lasse]

I think Chinny and Pyyhtia is the best we can give Fantilli right now. Let's hope it activates.

 

[stevo61]

Chinny and Fantilli together may not play a ton of give and go hockey or be insanely creative but they could absolutely come at teams in waves

 

[CBJx614]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1848367393501778111

 

[majormajor]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1848371286663122991

It feels heartbreaking to break up the best possession line in the NHL. I love how Marchy and Chinny look for each other when they get the puck. But we have to do something for Fantilli and I'm sure we can go back to our top trio after we get some bodies back.

I have no idea how Chinny and Fantilli will connect. All the speed and shooting ability but will they find each other?

I wonder if that top unit will be too slow again.

Another way to do it is to swap Chinakhov and Fantilli, so Fantilli is on the top line wing and Sillinger is centering Chinakhov. I would have gone that route to balance out the speed and to make things easier for Fantilli. I think having him center in this lineup might just be too much for him. I'd love to see him cut loose on the wing and just attack all game.

between the injuries and the lack of depth, evason had an impossible decision there.

i'm not gonna fault fantilli for not being able to carry justin danforth and zach aston-reese against one of the best defensive teams in the NHL. seeing as jvr looks cooked and lebanc looks even worse, the only options are:

1. keep everyone together and live with being a one-line team
2. break up the top line to give fantilli some more support
3. call up del bel belluz and throw him into the top six

of those options, i think #2 is the best at this juncture.

i do wonder if they end up claiming adam beckman off waivers. evason has familiarity with him (played a few games in minnesota) and he's still young at 23. doesn't seem like there are any useful forwards on the trade market yet, either. but they definitely need more bodies until voronkov and brindley get healthy.

I was thinking about trying option 3 before trying option 2.

Can we trade for Alex Nylander? lol. He has 5 goals in 5 AHL games.

 

[majormajor]

If your agent talks with Porty you are treated differently than if your agent doesn’t talk to Porty. My guess is Elvis’ agent doesn’t talk much with Porty so he is speculating.

Elvis' agent might as well have planted the trade idea. Don't you think he would be thrilled if that trade happened?

 

[koteka]

Elvis' agent might as well have planted the trade idea. Don't you think he would be thrilled if that trade happened?

I think he might have been more thrilled not to see his name mentioned in the press at all. Pittsburgh is finally looking like they are at the end of their run and will miss the playoffs again. They are giving up more goals per game than we are. I don’t know that spending the next 3 years in Pittsburgh sounds that appealing to a goalie.

Anyway, there have been mentions of such a trade from both sides so maybe it is actually being discussed and Elvis is being held out to avoid injury and everything else is misdirection.

I still think the best option for Elvis is we loan him to a Swiss team.

 

[CBJWerenski8]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1848403816548343935

 

[3074326]

I think he might have been more thrilled not to see his name mentioned in the press at all. Pittsburgh is finally looking like they are at the end of their run and will miss the playoffs again. They are giving up more goals per game than we are. I don’t know that spending the next 3 years in Pittsburgh sounds that appealing to a goalie.

Anyway, there have been mentions of such a trade from both sides so maybe it is actually being discussed and Elvis is being held out to avoid injury and everything else is misdirection.

I still think the best option for Elvis is we loan him to a Swiss team.

Couple problems with Jarry for Elvis from my perspective

1) I think Jarry is better, simply. For better or worse, the Pens are going to at least attempt to appear competitive until Sid/Geno/Letang call it.
2) Jarry has an extra year, and if I'm the Pens I'm not adding to anything to trade for Elvis
3) The Jackets wouldn't want to make this swap without getting something in addition to Jarry for the extra year.

I just don't see it happening. Obviously, I could be wrong. The Pens have made a few moves that didn't make sense to me, so who knows.