Ottawa Senators Prospect of the Week – Leevi Merilainen

This season, it’s been an entirely different story. Sogaard got off to a strong start, earning him a relief appearance with Ottawa, but he allowed four goals on 17 shots, resulting in a quick demotion. He then spent all of November injured and when he returned, lost his first start in nearly a month. He played one more NHL game in December but allowed another four goals on 23 shots and has struggled with injuries since.

Merilainen got off to a slower start, but once Sogaard went down, he took over the crease and never gave it back. His second NHL stint was almost magical; in 11 starts, the Finnish phenom won eight games, recorded three shutouts, and finished with a .925 SV% and a 1.99 goals-against average. No other Ottawa goalie has better stats this season, and his performance is part of why the Senators remain in the playoff hunt in February. His stats haven’t been quite as dominant in the AHL, but he remains Belleville’s obvious number-one goalie, even after some shaky appearances in December.

Last week helped put to bed any questions about Merilainen’s talent. In three games, two of which were against teams at the top of the North Division, he stopped 92 shots and recorded two shutouts, earning him two First Stars and a Third Star of the Game. The final game against the Utica Comets cemented him in Belleville’s history as he became the franchise’s all-time shutout leader.

Merilainen has won a lot of fans with his incredible performances, but what’s made him so valuable to the Senators is his consistency. After his slow start this season, he’s dipped below a .917 SV% just five times in 15 starts since Oct. 25 while facing an average of just under 25 shots per game. It seems more a matter of when – not if – he’ll take over as Ottawa’s backup goalie, meaning Forsberg’s days are numbered. That’s not bad value for an unknown third-round pick in 2020.

Senators Honourable Mentions & Check-Ins

Javon Moore and Blake Montgomery are quickly emerging as hidden gems from the 2024 NHL Draft class and they continued their dominance last week. Moore scored three goals in three games with the Sioux Falls Stampede, giving him 14 goals and 30 points on the season, and Montgomery added another five points in three games for 21 goals and 44 points in just 36 appearances with the London Knights. Given their size, speed, and offensive prowess, these two players are looking like they’ll become big producers in the NHL.

Speaking of goals, Stephen Halliday added three more to his tally this season. The AHL rookie now had 14 goals in 40 games and while he’s battled inconsistency over the season, he’s shown time and time again that, when he’s on, there’s little opponents can do to stop him. Meanwhile, Vladimir Nikitin remains undefeated after five starts for the Nanaimo Clippers of the British Columbia Hockey League (BCHL), and in his latest appearance, he recorded his first shutout of the season. After starting the season back in his home of Kazakhstan where he struggled for ice time, he looks much more comfortable in his second stint in Canada.

Although the Calgary Hitmen remain a top competitor in the Western Hockey League (WHL), Carter Yakemchuk hasn’t been as offensively dominant in recent weeks. Since the beginning of January, the defenceman has only put up 11 points, a far cry from what was expected at the beginning of the season. Although he dealt with an injury for part of that, his production has slowed down. There’s no need to panic, though, as he’s being relied on to be more of a shutdown defender against some difficult competition which is helping round his game.

Tune in next week to see which prospect stood above the rest.