Leevi Merilainen

Leevi Merilainen

23-Year-Old GoalieG
Ottawa Senators
2025 Fantasy Outlook
Merilainen may be ready to ascend to the NHL as a full-time backup. In limited action last season, he posted an 8-3-1 record with a 1.99 GAA and a .925 save percentage in 12 games, filling in as a short-term starter for much of January while Linus Ullmark dealt with a back injury. Merilainen is just entering his age-23 season, and that means he's still got time to develop. Those numbers, combined with his 18-12-4 record, 2.37 GAA and .913 save percentage over 37 games with AHL Belleville, indicate that Merilainen can handle 25-30 games at the NHL level. It's no guarantee he'll start 2025-26 in Ottawa, but he'll be in the mix for the backup job in training camp. Read Past Outlooks
Signed a one-year, $1.05 million contract with the Senators in June of 2025.
Set to face St. Louis
GOttawa Senators
November 28, 2025
Merilainen is expected to start on the road against St. Louis on Friday, per Jackson Starr of the Senators' official site.
ANALYSIS
Merilainen has a 3-2-0 record, 3.24 GAA and .875 save percentage in five appearances this year. He stopped 20 of 22 shots in his last start Monday, but a lack of offensive support resulted in that being a 2-1 loss to the Kings. The Blues rank 28th in goals per game with 2.63.
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2025 NHL Game Log
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2025 NHL Game Log
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2024 NHL Game Log
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2023 NHL Game Log
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2022 NHL Game Log
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2020 NHL Game Log
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2025–26 Time On Ice Stats
  • Average Time On Ice:
    59:08
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2024 Fantasy Outlook
Merilainen made his NHL debut late in the 2022-23 campaign, but he didn't make any appearances for the Senators last year despite a brief stint with Ottawa. He made a career-high 24 regular-season appearances for AHL Belleville last year and had mixed results, going 10-9-1 with a 2.87 GAA and .906 save percentage. The Senators traded Joonas Korpisalo to the Bruins over the summer but received Linus Ullmark in return, so Ullmark and Anton Forsberg should enter the 2024-25 season as the team's top two netminders. Despite Merilainen's inconsistency in the minors last season, he could be called up by the Senators if Ullmark or Forsberg deal with injuries at some point.
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Decent in road loss
GOttawa Senators
November 25, 2025
Merilainen allowed two goals on 22 shots in Monday's 2-1 loss to the Kings.
ANALYSIS
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In goal versus Kings
GOttawa Senators
November 24, 2025
Merilainen will get the starting nod on the road versus Los Angeles on Monday, Senators on-air host Jackson Starr reports.
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Beaten three times Thursday
GOttawa Senators
November 14, 2025
Merilainen stopped 18 of 21 shots in Thursday's 5-3 win over the Bruins.
ANALYSIS
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Starting versus Bruins
GOttawa Senators
November 13, 2025
Merilainen will occupy the home crease versus Boston on Thursday, according to TSN 1200 Ottawa.
ANALYSIS
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Earns win over Mammoth
GOttawa Senators
November 9, 2025
Merilainen stopped 29 of 31 shots in Sunday's 4-2 win over the Mammoth.
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Latest Fantasy Rumors
Might be summoned
GOttawa Senators
April 9, 2025
The Senators are considering recalling Merilainen from AHL Belleville, according to Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia on Wednesday.
ANALYSIS
Neither Linus Ullmark nor Anton Forsberg is dealing with a known injury, but Ottawa has secured its playoff berth, so adding Merilainen to the roster would enable the Senators to occasionally make Ullmark a healthy scratch so that he's rested for the postseason. It would also give the 22-year-old Merilainen, who has an 8-3-1 record, 1.99 GAA and .925 save percentage in 12 appearances with Ottawa this campaign, some added NHL experience.
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