Canucks claim goaltender Leevi Meriläinen off waivers from Senators
The Finnish netminder, drafted 71st overall in 2020, posted an 8-10-1 record for Ottawa last season.
VANCOUVER — The Vancouver Canucks have claimed goaltender Leevi Meriläinen off waivers from the Ottawa Senators.
The team announced the move on Friday.
"Vancouver Canucks General Manager Ryan Johnson announced today that the club has claimed goaltender Leevi Meriläinen off of waivers from the Ottawa Senators," the team said in a statement.
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The 24-year-old Finnish netminder appeared in 20 games for the Senators in the 2025-26 season, posting an 8-10-1 record with a 3.51 goals-against average and an .860 save percentage.
He also played in 19 games with the Belleville Senators of the American Hockey League, going 8-8-2 with a 2.77 goals-against average, a .909 save percentage and two shutouts.
Meriläinen was the odd man out in Ottawa's goaltending plans, as the Senators are going with Samuel Ersson as the backup to starter Linus Ullmark.
In his first extended taste of the NHL in 2024-25, he put up a 1.99 goals-against average and a .925 save percentage, helping the Senators weather an injury to Ullmark.
Across 34 career NHL games, all with Ottawa, Meriläinen holds a record of 16-14-3 with a 3.00 goals-against average, an .885 save percentage and three shutouts.
He has also played 84 career AHL games, all with Belleville, posting a 39-29-10 record with a 2.59 goals-against average, a .911 save percentage and eight shutouts.
The six-foot-three, 186-pound goaltender was originally selected by the Senators in the third round, 71st overall, in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft.
A native of Oulu, Finland, Meriläinen represented his country at the 2022 World Junior Hockey Championships, winning a silver medal.
Vancouver is expected to start the upcoming season without starting goalie Thatcher Demko, who underwent season-ending hip surgery in January.
The Canucks already have fellow Finn Kevin Lankinen and Nikita Tolopilo under contract for the year.
The addition of Meriläinen creates a logjam, as all four goaltenders now on Vancouver's roster require waivers to be sent to the minors.
In other waiver news, forward Matt Stienburg cleared waivers and will be assigned to the Abbotsford Canucks.
The 25-year-old is expected to play a big role as part of Abbotsford's top six forward group.
In 71 career AHL games, Stienburg has scored eight goals and recorded 20 points.
With files from CBC News, Sportsnet and Yahoo Sports