The Vancouver Canucks wasted little time getting involved on the preseason waiver wire, putting in the first claim of the season and landing goaltender Leevi Merilainen from the Ottawa Senators, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.
For Vancouver, the move goes straight to a position that has been hanging over the team. Thatcher Demko has again been sidelined by injury, and the Canucks have been trying to sort out the crease around him.
Last season, three different goalies got into at least 20 games for Vancouver. Kevin Lankinen carried the heaviest workload, but his year was rough, finishing 11-27-5 with a .876 save percentage in 47 appearances.
Demko posted the best numbers in the room, going 8-10-1 with a .895 save percentage in 20 games. Before this claim, Vancouver looked poised to enter the 2026-27 season with Lankinen and Nikita Tolopilo as its tandem.
Merilainen gives the Canucks another option, and likely a better one than Tolopilo, even after a tough 2025-26 season. He went 8-10-1 with an .860 save percentage in 20 games for Ottawa last year, a clear step back from his 2024-25 work, when he turned in an 8-3-1 record and a .925 save percentage.
At 24, Merilainen already has more experience than most goalies his age. He has played 34 NHL games and 84 AHL games, putting together a 39-29-10 record and a .911 save percentage in the minors. His game has usually been above average, though not without its swings.
The fit in Vancouver could matter for Merilainen, too. He signed a one-year, $1.1MM deal with Ottawa earlier this summer and will be a restricted free agent with arbitration rights next July unless he signs again before then. If he gets off to a strong start with the Canucks, the path could open toward a longer-term deal built around handling 40 or more games a season.
In Other News...
Canucks Just Sent A Clear Message About Braeden Cootes
The Canucks made another round of roster cuts ahead of the NHL deadline, assigning Braeden Cootes and Matthew Stienburg to Abbotsford as they continue trimming down to the required 23-man limit. For Cootes, the move is especially notable because the 19-year-old rookie is now eligible for the AHL under a new NHL rule that allows players his age to go there instead of being forced back into junior hockey.
Stienburg cleared waivers before heading to the Abbotsford Canucks, giving Vancouver a little more clarity as it sorts through a crowded depth chart. With 14 forwards, eight defensemen and four goaltenders still on the roster, the Canucks are getting closer to the deadline picture, and the decision on Cootes reads like a clear sign the organization wants him developing in a league where he can keep playing meaningful games. [Read more 🡒]
Canucks Just Put New Pressure On Their Goalie Battle
The Canucks added another name to their crease mix by claiming Leevi Merilinen off waivers from the Senators, a move that fits the reality of where Vancouver is right now. With Thatcher Demko still recovering from surgery, the club has been looking for ways to steady its goaltending depth, and Merilinen arrives with both NHL and AHL experience at age 24.
Vancouvers position at the top of the waiver order may not be done mattering, either, since the club still has room to keep reshaping the roster if it sees a fit. For Merilinen, the opportunity is immediate and practical, because a goalie room dealing with uncertainty tends to create openings quickly, and the Canucks have just made their battle a little more interesting. [Read more 🡒]
Canucks Fans Have A New Rogers Arena Drink Price Frustration
Canucks fans heading into Rogers Arena this season are finding a few subtle changes at the concession stands, and not all of them are welcome. Beer prices have ticked up a bit across the board, with the most notable shift coming on the smaller pours, while the arena has also made a switch from Pepsi to Coca-Cola products.
The adjustments are small enough to look almost routine at first glance, but they are the kind of changes regular attendees notice quickly once they start lining up for a drink. A 24-ounce beer went up by a penny because of rounding, 12-ounce beers are a little pricier than before, and some soft drinks have climbed as part of the new Coke menu, adding another layer of frustration for fans already keeping an eye on game-night costs. [Read more 🡒]