Merilainen was claimed off waivers by Vancouver from Ottawa on Friday.
Merilainen had an 8-10-1 record, 3.51 GAA and .860 save percentage in 20 regular-season appearances with Ottawa in 2025-26. While he clearly didn't have an ideal campaign, he's still just 24 years old and showed promise in 2024-25 with an 8-3-1 record, 1.99 GAA and .925 save percentage across 12 regular-season outings with the Senators. Thatcher Demko (hip) might not be ready for the start of the campaign, which presents Merilainen with an opportunity to compete with Kevin Lankinen for starts. The addition of Merilainen is also likely to result in Nikita Tolopilo beginning the upcoming campaign in the minors. Vancouver might also be more likely to decide against signing Chris Driedger, who has been attending the Canucks' training camp on a tryout basis.