Senators Place Goalie Leevi Merilainen on Waivers
A few things in hockey interest an old fan. And putting a young goalie on waivers is one of them. The Ottawa Senators placed Leevi Merilainen on waivers Thursday, and that caught my attention. Not because the 23-year-old is suddenly a bad goalie. He isn't. But because goaltenders are funny creatures. One year you're being talked about as the next guy in line, and the next you're trying to clear waivers so somebody else doesn't take your roster spot.
It looks like Ersson has pushed Merilainen down the Senators’ depth chart.
Merilainen appeared in 20 games for Ottawa last season, going 8-10-1 with a 3.51 goals-against average and an .860 save percentage. Those numbers aren't pretty. There's no getting around that. But there's another part of the story.
The Senators have Linus Ullmark, and over the summer they added Samuel Ersson on a two-year, $4.4-million contract. Ersson is expected to be the backup, which leaves Merilainen looking at a pretty crowded depth chart. That's how a goalie can end up on waivers.
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Merilainen is still young. He hasn't suddenly become an old goalie who has run out of chances. Ottawa has invested time in developing him, and now another NHL team gets a chance to decide whether there’s something there. That's the strange little gamble of the waiver wire.
You aren't necessarily claiming what a player has been. You're sometimes claiming what you think he might become. The Senators believe their goaltending situation gives them enough room to make this move. Ullmark is the established starter, and Ersson gives them another experienced option. If one of those two gets hurt, Merilainen could still be called upon if he clears.
If another team claims Merilainen, Ottawa loses an option.
Goalies don't always develop in a straight line. A difficult season can be just that — a difficult season. Give a young goaltender a different defence in front of him, a different goalie coach or simply a little more confidence, and the picture can change. None of that guarantees Merilainen becomes an NHL starter. It just makes putting a 23-year-old goalie on waivers an interesting decision.
For Ottawa, this is roster management. For the rest of the league, it's a chance to take a second look. And that's why Thursday's waiver list is worth reading a little more carefully. Sometimes the most interesting player isn't the one everybody is talking about.
Sometimes he's the young goalie sitting there quietly, waiting to see if somebody else thinks there might still be a story to tell.