Greaves Enters Camp as the Starter. Columbus Has No Backup Plan.

The situation in net has clarified itself in the worst possible way. Elvis Merzlikins went in for shoulder surgery on August 20 with no return timeline attached, which means Jet Greaves isn't easing into a shared workload anymore — he's the guy, from day one of training camp. That was always the direction management was heading when they signed him to a three-year, $15 million deal in late July. It just wasn't supposed to happen this fast.

Michael Hutchinson retired in late July, so that depth is gone too. Columbus is heading into camp with Greaves as the unquestioned starter and, as far as the roster currently shows, not much behind him. Greaves is young and the organization clearly believes in him — the contract says as much — but belief and a proven track record aren't the same thing, and right now the Blue Jackets are betting a full season on a goaltender who hasn't carried a starter's load at this level.

The broader context doesn't make it easier. Last season Columbus allowed 3.4 goals per game over its final 10 games, a defensive collapse that helped bury the playoff run. The team added Nichushkin and Tuch up front to shore up the offense, and Werenski remains the anchor on the blue line. But if the net is a problem early, those additions don't matter much. My read is that the next few weeks — how Greaves looks in camp, whether Columbus makes any quiet depth move in net — will tell you more about this team's ceiling than anything else happening right now.