Merilainen was put on waivers by Ottawa on Thursday, per Renaud Lavoie of TVA Sports.
Merilainen had an 8-10-1 record, 3.51 GAA and .860 save percentage in 20 regular-season appearances with the Senators in 2025-26. Samuel Ersson signed a two-year, $4.4 million contract with the Senators over the summer, and he's expected to begin the season as the No. 2 goaltender behind Linus Ullmark. If either of Ersson or Ullmark suffers an injury during the campaign, then Merilainen might be summoned.