Overview
- Ottawa announced a one-year, one-way contract for 23-year-old goaltender Leevi Merilainen that carries a $1.1 million NHL cap hit and represents a modest pay increase from his prior deal.
- The signing finalizes the club’s top three netminders with Linus Ullmark and Samuel Ersson also under contract, a trio reported to carry a combined $11.55 million salary-cap hit for 2026–27.
- Merilainen split time between the NHL and AHL in 2025–26, going 8–10–1 with an .860 save percentage in 20 NHL games and 8–8–1 with a .909 save percentage in 19 AHL games for Belleville.
- The one-way nature of the deal guarantees Merilainen the same salary at the NHL level and leaves his immediate role determined by performance, the health of the roster, and the team’s usage of Samuel Ersson and Linus Ullmark.
- A 2020 third-round pick from Oulu, Finland, Merilainen developed with Karpat and the OHL’s Kingston Frontenacs and brings 34 NHL games and 84 AHL games of professional experience to Ottawa’s depth chart.