The Columbus Blue Jackets entered the Olympic break as the hottest team in the league. Riding a seven-game win streak that had brought them within four points of the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference, the timing seemed terrible, but it might give them an extra boost for a final push.
The Blue Jackets are tied with the New York Islanders and the Buffalo Sabres for the fewest players in Milan, with two, Zach Werenski (Team USA) and Elvis Merzlikins (Team Latvia), which means the rest of the roster can breathe a little bit.
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It’s been 12 years since NHLers participated in the Winter Olympics, but that dream is now coming true for Werenski and Merzlikins.
Werenski Shines for Team USA
This season has been near perfect for Werenski, and his Olympics have been just as steady as his play in Columbus. He has been the Blue Jackets’ driving force from the back end and the team’s best player, and he has also been a stabilizing force for Team USA, with a goal and an assist, heading into the knockout rounds.
If the Blue Jackets can stay hot coming out of the break and make it into the playoffs, Werenski will be in the middle of the Hart Trophy conversation as league MVP. The Hockey Writers’ own Mark Scheig believes he should already be in that conversation. He leads the Blue Jackets in points, with 62 in 52 games, and he is tied for the league lead in goals amongst defensemen with 20.
At the Olympics, Werenski is averaging roughly 18 minutes of ice time per game, which is good news for fans who want him to return ready for a playoff push. He is averaging a little over 26 minutes of ice time a night in Columbus, which ranks second in the NHL. The Blue Jackets will need him to continue logging tough minutes on his return.
Merzlikins Confidence Not Shattered
Given the Blue Jackets’ recent success, Elvis Merzlikins went into the Olympics as one of the hottest goaltenders in the NHL. His first Olympic start came against Team USA, but he was replaced at the start of the third period after allowing four goals on 32 shots.
He played well, but Team Latvia was no match for the USA. Merzlikins has not seen the ice since that game, with Pittsburgh Penguins goaltender Arturs Silovs in net for the last two games against Germany and Denmark, with one win and one loss.
The biggest takeaway for Merzlikins should be that he played well against an extremely talented squad. For Blue Jackets fans, they can be reassured that Merzlikins should return to the team ready to share the workload for the stretch run.
Elvis Merzlikins on Latvia’s two successful challenges:
“I mean I got lucky, yes. I got lucky with posts and I got lucky I have a good video coach who saved my butt two times. He has a good eye on it and I definitely owe him a dinner.”
— Dan Rosen (@drosennhl) February 12, 2026
Rick Bowness has done a lot for the team since he took over the bench last month, but Merzlikins’ play has especially improved. He has seen more action in one month under Bowness than he saw in three months under Evason and has been a key reason the team has won 11 of their last 12 games.
Getting him back to Columbus healthy, rested, and ready to continue to play at the highest level will be a big boost to the team.
The Blue Jackets resume play on Feb 26 against the Boston Bruins.
