Leevi Merilainen

April 2026 – Merilainen was thrust into a key role this season with the Ottawa Senators, filling in for Linus Ullmark while the latter took some time away to address some mental health concerns. Unfortunately, for Merilainen, his stint as the Senators starter did not go the way he likely hoped, and his stock has fallen considerably across the NHL landscape as a result. After a standout 2024-25 campaign – eight wins, three shutouts, and a 1.99 GAA across 12 NHL appearances – the Finn has posted a 3.51 GAA and .860 save percentage across 20 NHL starts this year, a significant regression that has
dampened his organizational standing heading into an RFA offseason.

The AHL numbers offer a degree of comfort – a 2.77 GAA and .909 save percentage across 19 Belleville appearances suggest the underlying ability remains. At 23, with a recent track record of performing at the NHL level, writing him off entirely would be premature. However, the decline is real, and it raises
legitimate questions about whether his breakout campaign reflected genuine development or simply a hot stretch playing behind a team that can more than hold its own defensively. Ryan Downey

July 2025 – Merilainen had a fantastic introduction to the NHL in 2024-2025, with a swing of 8-3-1 in which he had three shutouts, and a rate line of 1.99 GAA and .925 Sv%. He went back to Bellville after the Ottawa starters returned to health. He finished off the AHL year with an 11-10-2 record, and well outplayed his competition for the backup job in Ottawa for the upcoming season. He should be Linus Ullmark’s back up to start the season, and could push for more starts if he plays like he did last season. Alex Wyatt

February 2025 – Leevi Merilainen filled in extremely well for the Ottawa Senators after being called up in December, while starter Linus Ullmark dealt with a back injury. Merilainen posted an 8-3-1 record with three shutouts in that stretch for the Sens. Merilainen was a big factor in helping turn the Senators season around; in his 12 games up with the big club, he had a 1.99 GAA and a .925 save percentage. In his five games since being sent back to Belleville, Merilainen has picked up where he left off with the Ottawa Senators. The shutout machine has a 3-1-1 record with two shutouts, 1.61 GAA, and a .942 save percentage in that span for Belleville. Merilainen’s hot play of late has the Finnish native leap-frogging Mads Sogaard in the Senators depth charts. Andrew Barrett

September 2023 – Merilainen was solid in the two games he participated in at the prospects tournament in Buffalo. He is calm in his crease and covers a lot of the net. He hopes to play at least 30-40 games with Bellevue in the AHL in 2023-24. Grant Campbell

March 2023 – Merilainen’s season ended in the Finnish Liiga as Karpat was eliminated in the playoffs. He didn’t suit up for a game during the playoffs as he was injured, but he had an excellent regular season where he played 42 games and had a save percentage.918 He is expected to make his way over to Belleville of the AHL for the remainder of this season, and if healthy, he might see some games before the end of the year. The 20-year-old might need a few seasons in the AHL. Grant Campbell

August 2022 – The 20-year-old Merilainen began the 2022 U20 WJC as the starting goalie for Finland at the tournament’s outset. His play faltered a little, especially during a 6-3 loss to Canada in the round robin, and teammate Juha Jatkola took over for the QF, SF, and Finals. Grant Campbell

June 2022 – This season, the now 20-year-old Merilainen played in North America, plying his trade in the OHL with the high-scoring Kingston Frontenacs for the whole season. He played 53 games in the regular season with a 3.29 GAA, an 89.1 save percentage, and 11 playoff games with a 3.69 GAA and an 88.8 save percentage. Although he played well in the five games he played with Finland U20s, I’m not sure his game is ready for the AHL, so he might need to see what his options are back home in Finland for next season if Ottawa doesn’t extend a contract yet. Grant Campbell

July 2021- After being relatively unknown in his draft year, Merilainen had a fantastic D+1 year with the Karpat U20 team and posted a respectable .934 save percentage. He also recently committed to the Kingston Frontenacs of the OHL for the 2021-2022 season, so Merilainen will move his game over to the North American ice earlier than expected. Expect him to have a standout year in the OHL and with Finland on the international stage before transitioning his game to the pro level. Jacob Barker