The Senators’ goaltending depth took a hit Friday when Vancouver claimed Leevi Meriläinen off waivers, a move that leaves Ottawa with a thinner safety net behind its NHL tandem.
Meriläinen, 24, had been in net Wednesday night for Ottawa’s road split-squad game against Toronto. The Senators dressed an undermanned group against a Maple Leafs lineup packed with NHL regulars and fell 6-1.
Meriläinen turned aside 21 shots before Jackson Parsons took over after Toronto’s sixth goal early in the third period. Ottawa spent much of the night on its heels, and the score line said more about the team in front of him than it did about Meriläinen.
Even with that rough outing, the loss stings because Meriläinen had already shown he could be more than just an emergency fill-in. During the 2024-25 season, injuries to Linus Ullmark and Anton Forsberg opened the door, and he made the most of it.
In 12 appearances, he went 8-3-1 with a 1.99 goals-against average, a .925 save percentage and three shutouts. He also had a fourth shutout if only regulation play is counted.
That run mattered. Ottawa snapped its seven-season playoff drought that spring, and it’s hard to separate Meriläinen’s contributions from that finish.
Vancouver, meanwhile, clearly sees a path for him at the NHL level. Thatcher Demko is still coming back from hip surgery, while Kevin Lankinen and Nikita Tolopilo are the other goalies projected in the club’s lineup.
Former Senator Chris Driedger is also in camp on a professional tryout after spending last season in the KHL. Because of waiver rules, the Canucks would have to place Meriläinen on waivers again before sending him to their AHL team.
For Ottawa, the claim reshuffles the picture behind Ullmark and Ersson. Parsons and Kevin Reidler remain intriguing options, but both have limited pro experience.
The Senators also have Vadim Zherenko in camp on a tryout after four seasons with AHL Springfield, and he could become a key call-up option if Ottawa wants a more seasoned depth piece. Before that can happen, though, the Senators would need to sign him to a contract.
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