The Ottawa Senators took care of their backup plan on Monday.
Only hours after the club issued a qualifying offer to goaltender Leevi Merilainen, the Senators signed the 22-year-old top prospect to a one-year, one-way deal that will pay him $1.05 million US next season.
The club has also agreed to terms with veteran winger Nick Cousins. He will sign a one-year deal worth $825,000 to avoid unrestricted free agency.
This deal came together quickly.
Steve Staios, the club’s president of hockey operations and general manager, issued a qualifying offer to Merilainen that would have paid him $813,500 in the National Hockey League next season and $80,000 in the American Hockey League.
The Senators reached out to Merilainen’s agent, Jerry Buckley, only hours after the qualifying offer was tabled and wanted to make a deal. Why the hurry? The Senators knew that with limited cap space and the success Merilainen had last season, they needed to avoid any offer-sheet scenario.
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Merilainen, 22, appeared in 12 regular-season games for the Senators last season when goaltender Linus Ullmark was sidelined with a back injury.
He posted an 8-3-1 record with a 1.99 GAA and .925 save percentage in that stretch. Merilainen also recorded three shutouts during his stay with the Senators, including one in a 6-0 win over the Minnesota Wild in the last game he played last season.
This means goaltender Anton Forsberg won’t be back next season and will test the market as an unrestricted free agent on Tuesday.
Taken by the Senators in the third round of the 2020 NHL Draft, Merilainen made his NHL debut on April 4, 2023. In 65 career games with Belleville, he posted a 31-21-5 record with a 2.53 GAA and a .912 save percentage.
The Senators also extended qualifying offers to Xavier Bourgault, Max Guenette, Jan Jenik and Donovan Sebrango at Monday’s 5 p.m. deadline.
bgarrioch@postmedia.com