Elvis Merzlikins takes personal leave from Blue Jackets

On Friday evening, the Columbus Blue Jackets announced a roster move, calling up goaltender Daniil Tarasov from the AHL's Cleveland Monsters on an emergency basis and shared some news regarding Elvis Merzlikins.

The team says that Merzlikins has temporarily returned home to Latvia due to his grandmother being seriously ill and him wanting to be with his family.

In 29 games this season, the Riga native has a 7-17-2 record along with a 4.10 GAA and an .880 save percentage.

It's unclear when Merzlikins will return to the Blue Jackets, but we'd like to wish him and his family all the best during this difficult time.

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