Impact Merrill helped out on a Mats Zuccarello tally in the third period. The assist was Merrill's first point in five games, and he's added three shots on net, seven blocked shots, four hits and a plus-1 rating. The 32-year-old defenseman is locked into a bottom-pairing role, and there's a chance he loses his place in the lineup once Jared Spurgeon (lower body) is able to resume playing. Spurgeon is having his workload managed following hip and back surgeries earlier in 2024, which leaves the door open for Merrill to still get a fair amount of playing time, albeit in a limited role.
OCTOBER 20 • ROTOWIRE
