Merzliks recovery from shoulder surgery could take several more months
Toronto Maple Leafs management revealed that Latvian goaltender Elvis Merzlikins may need three to five more months to recover from his offseason shoulder surgery.
Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Jon Chaika has said that Latvian goaltender Elvis Merzlikins will still need several months before he can return to the ice following shoulder surgery. According to Chaika, full recovery is expected to take three to five months.
Merzlikins underwent the surgery before the start of the new season, and his former team, the Columbus Blue Jackets, had already warned that the goaltender would miss the beginning of the campaign.
Trade to Toronto
On Monday, Merzlikins was traded from the Blue Jackets to the Toronto Maple Leafs. Forwards Kirill Marchenko and Miles Wood also moved to Toronto as part of the deal. In return, Columbus received forwards Matthew Knies and Steven Lorentz, defenseman Emil Andrae, and a draft pick.
Last season's numbers
Last season, the 32-year-old Latvian appeared in 30 games, posting a 3.4 goals-against average and an .883 save percentage. Merzlikins still had one year remaining on his contract.
The Maple Leafs open their new season tonight, hosting the Montreal Canadiens at 2 a.m. Latvian time.
