Earlier this season, the Toronto Maple Leafs acquired Elvis Merzlikins as part of the Kirill Marchenko trade with the Columbus Blue Jackets, despite an injury.
Most Maple Leafs fans have probably forgotten that Elvis Merzlikins is even on the team. It's not a knock against the goaltender; it is simply a dose of reality as the netminder is out four to six months following shoulder surgery.
It remains to be seen whether or not the goaltender ever plays a single game with the Maple Leafs. They already have Sergei Bobrovsky and Anthony Stolarz on the roster.
He would be the perfect trade chip for when he gets back healthy. The Leafs can't really afford him, and they'd rather get some nice assets for a goalie with a proven track record of being an NHL starter.
Elvis Merzlikins mounts his comeback
Interestingly enough, Elvis Merzlikins ended up turning some heads earlier this week when he was spotted back on the ice training in Switzerland.
Below, you can see some photos from this session, and there is something that certainly caught our eye. He is wearing some Maple Leafs gear.
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His jumpsuit and baseball cap are all graced with Maple Leafs logos. It just goes to show that the netminder is feeling the Maple Leafs spirit right now.
Whether or not this means anything about his commitment to the franchise truly remains to be seen. There is still a lot that needs to be figured out for the goaltender.
Moreover, given his recovery timeline, this is something that the Maple Leafs and Merzlikins do not need to worry about right now. They probably have other issues on their minds at this time.
Now that Merzlikins is embracing the franchise a bit more, perhaps fans will wake up to the fact that there is a third goalie on the roster waiting in the wings.
Clearly, the Maple Leafs have a thing for netminders who used to play for the Blue Jackets.
Do you believe Elvis Merzlikins will ever play a game for the Toronto Maple Leafs?
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