Merzlikins will get the starting nod at home against the Panthers on Thursday, Jeff Svoboda of the Blue Jackets' official site reports.
Merzlikins is mired in a four-game losing streak during which he posted a 3.82 GAA and .885 save percentage. Despite the recent slump, the 30-year-old netminder still has a chance of matching his 2021-22 win total (27), but he'll need to start producing victories sooner rather than later.