The Senators have taken care of another piece of their goaltending puzzle, signing Leevi Merilainen to a one-year contract worth $1.1 million for the 2026-27 season.
The deal is a one-way contract, a detail that could have important implications for the Sens’ roster decisions heading into training camp. He was also arbitration-eligible, but after the season he just had, that may not have gone so well for the young Finn.
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Merilainen entered last season as the undisputed backup to Linus Ullmark after showing excellent promise during a brief NHL stint in 2024-25. But that opportunity slipped away with some below-average performances early in the year.
He struggled with an 8-10-1 record, a 3.51 goals-against average and an .860 save percentage in 20 appearances.
As his confidence waned, the Senators turned to veteran James Reimer, who had signed as a free agent just before the season. Reimer stabilized the position, playing well enough to keep the backup job for the remainder of the regular season and into the playoffs, while Merilainen returned to Belleville.
With the B-Sens, Merilainen looked closer to the kind of prospect Ottawa had envisioned to start the year. He posted an 8-8-1 record in 19 games with a 2.77 goals-against average and a .909 save percentage.
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The Senators selected the Finnish netminder in the third round (71st overall) of the 2020 NHL Draft. He has since appeared in 34 NHL games. Meanwhile, he’s compiled a 39-29-6 record, a 2.59 goals-against average, and a .911 save percentage across 84 career AHL games.
The extension also raises an interesting question: Could Ottawa carry three goaltenders on its NHL roster next season?
That approach, used by the Stanley Cup-champion Carolina Hurricanes this season, has become increasingly common around the league. It could be particularly appealing for the Senators given Linus Ullmark’s history.
Ullmark has never started more than 50 games in a single NHL season. Last year also served as a reminder that his availability can’t always be taken for granted. Ullmark has been injury-prone in Ottawa, and he’s also been open about his mental health challenges. To get the best version of Ullmark, the Senators know they’ll need to carefully monitor both his workload and overall well-being throughout the season.
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Keeping Merilainen alongside Ullmark and newcomer Samuel Ersson would give head coach Travis Green plenty of flexibility while ensuring the club has experienced NHL depth if injuries arise.
But at the same time, it’s probably not the best development model for the 23-year-old Merilainen.
So if the Senators decide against the notion of carrying three goaltenders, they’ll face a difficult decision because nobody is waiver-exempt. Both Meriläinen and Ersson would need to clear before being assigned to Belleville.
One thing is clear. The Senators weren’t prepared to lose Merilainen for nothing. By giving him a one-way contract, they’ve signalled they still believe he can become an NHL goaltender.
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The challenge now is figuring out where he fits.
By Steve Warne
The Hockey News
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