At the 2020 NHL Draft, the Ottawa Senators selected Finnish goaltender Leevi Merilainen with the 71st overall pick in the draft. It would take until the 2024-25 season for Merilainen to get recognized in the NHL.
After losing both his first two NHL starts in April 2023, it was unsure when Merilainen would get NHL time again. With the Senators dealing with Linus Ullmark and Anton Forsberg both being injured in December 2024, it led to Merilainen getting called up from the AHL. In just 12 games with 11 of them being starts, Merilainen stood out.
Merilainen posted a 8-3-1 record with a 1.99 goals against average, .925 save percentage and three shutouts. Had Merilainen not had his hot stretch during the Winter, it could've been unsure if the Senators would've made the 2025 playoffs. This Summer, Merilainen will be a restricted free agent. With being young and showing potential, it's right for the Senators to give Merilainen a fair contract.
Locking up Merilainen for years to come is key
For the past three years, Merilainen had a cap hit of $820,000. With success in the NHL for a short time and being a reliable goaltender for the Belleville Senators in the AHL this past season, Merilainen is due for a raise of a contract for this Summer. For how long and how much is the next question.
A contract for 2-3 years at a salary around $900,000-$1.2 million per year could be seen as a fair contract for Merilainen.
The truth is Merilainen is still developing with being a young goaltender. Although Merilainen had NHL success in 2024-25, 12 NHL games might not be seen as enough to receive a bigger pay.
The Senators will have a decision to make in goal this Summer. Forsberg is an unrestricted free agent at 32 years old. Despite playing in 30 games with 27 of them being starts, Forsberg had some inconsistency issues in his first year being Ullmark's backup.
If the Senators bring back Forsberg, it could be a sign the Senators don't think Merilainen is ready to be a full-time backup for Ullmark. If the Senators don't bring back Forsberg, it would put Merilainen in position to be Ullmark's backup.
Merilainen is one of the Senators' top prospects in Belleville. Merilainen has answered the call on being Belleville's top goaltender over Mads Sogaard and Malcolm Subban.
Merilainen went 18-12-4-4 with a 2.37 goals against average and .913 save percentage this past season in Belleville. Whether if it was in the AHL or NHL, Merilainen showed he can be a reliable goaltender for years to come with the Senators.
Keeping Merilainen is a must this Summer. With inconsistency for Forsberg and Sogaard, Merilainen might be the better option for the Senators down the road.