Senators sign goaltender Meriläinen to 1-year contract extension

Ottawa Senators goaltender Leevi Merilainen (1) prepares for the first period of an NHL hockey game against the Minnesota Wild, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024, in St. Paul, Minn. (AP Photo/Ellen Schmidt)

The Ottawa Senators have reached a deal that will keep netminder Leevi Meriläinen in the team’s system for another season.

In a news release, the organization announced that Meriläinen signed a one-year, one-way contract worth $1.1 million.

The 23-year-old Finnish netminder appeared in 20 games for the Senators last season, starting 19 of them and posting 8 wins, 10 losses and 1 overtime loss. He recorded a 0.860 save percentage and 3.51 goals against on average.

Meriläinen also appeared in 19 AHL games for the Belleville Senators, recording 8 wins, 8 losses and 1 overtime loss with a 0.909 save percentage and 2.77 goals against on average.

The Senators will be heading into next season with a goaltending trio of Meriläinen, Linus Ullmark and newcomer Samuel Ersson. Ersson’s contract rights were acquired in a trade last week and on Wednesday, the team announced they signed him to a two-year deal worth an average annual value of $2.2 million.

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