Vancouver snatched Meriläinen off waivers Friday, leaving a gap in the Sens' goaltending depth that newcomer Vadim Zherenko may have to fill.
The Senators have lost Leevi Meriläinen to the Vancouver Canucks, who claimed the 24-year-old goaltender off waivers on Friday.
Meriläinen was in goal Wednesday night for Ottawa’s road split squad game against Toronto. The Senators sent an undermanned lineup into a matchup with a Maple Leafs team loaded with NHL regulars, and the result was a 6-1 loss.
Meriläinen stopped 21 shots before being replaced by Jackson Parsons after Toronto’s sixth goal early in the third period. The Senators were under siege for much of the night, and the scoreboard reflected the team’s play rather than Meriläinen’s performance.
That said, Wednesday’s game came after a difficult season for a goalie who had looked like a major part of Ottawa’s future a year and a half ago.
When injuries sidelined Linus Ullmark and Anton Forsberg during the 2024–25 season, Meriläinen gave the Senators far more than just emergency support. He went 8-3-1 in 12 appearances, with a 1.99 goals-against average, a .925 save percentage and three shutouts. He even had a fourth shutout if you just count regulation play.
The Sens ended their seven-season playoff drought that spring, and it is hard to imagine the team getting there without the points Meriläinen helped secure while its veteran goalies were out.
He looked every bit like the goalie of the future.
But he couldn’t sustain that level last season. In 20 NHL appearances in 2025–26, Meriläinen went 8-10-1 with a 3.51 goals-against average and an .860 save percentage.
Eventually, the Sens signed free agent James Reimer, and when Linus Ullmark returned from his leave of absence, Meriläinen was sent to Belleville and didn't return.
There had been some discussion about the Senators opening the season with three goaltenders. Meriläinen signed a one-year, one-way contract worth $1.1 million this summer, but he was no longer exempt from waivers.
With Ullmark in place and newcomer Samuel Ersson making a strong first impression in the preseason opener against Montreal, the Senators chose to try to sneak Meriläinen through waivers so they could send him to Belleville to keep developing. They were probably hoping the 6-1 loss on Wednesday might scare everyone off.
Vancouver, desperate for help in goal, took the opportunity to claim him.
Thatcher Demko is still working his way back from hip surgery, while Kevin Lankinen and Nikita Tolopilo are the other goaltenders in the club’s projected lineup. Former Senator Chris Driedger is also at camp on a professional tryout after spending last season in the KHL.
The Canucks obviously feel like Meriläinen has a chance to help them at the NHL level. They would not be allowed to send him to their AHL team without putting him on waivers again.
In Ottawa, the claim changes the picture behind Ullmark and Ersson. Parsons and Kevin Reidler are promising options, but both have limited professional experience.
The Senators also brought Vadim Zherenko to camp on a tryout after four seasons with AHL Springfield. If Ottawa wants a more experienced goalie available for a call-up,
Zherenko could become an important option. First, though, the Senators would have to sign him to a contract.
By Steve Warne
The Hockey News
