Merzlikins is expected to get the starting nod at home against Detroit on Thursday, Jeff Svoboda of the Blue Jackets' official site reports.
Merzlikins has made consecutive appearances between the pipes just once over the Jackets' last 10 contests but seems poised for an uptick in opportunities moving forward. In his last five outings, the 30-year-old backstop is 3-1-1 with a 3.11 GAA and .901 save percentage.