Last summer, I took a deep dive into the Ottawa Senators world of prospects. To put it bluntly, it was grim. The Senators had arguably the worst prospect pool in all the NHL. While the Senators are still on the weaker side with their prospect group, it’s certainly an improved group a year later. Today’s focus is the goalies. Let’s dive into it!
Leevi Merilainen
Last season, Merilainen started out as backup in the AHL with Belleville, essentially placing him fourth on Ottawa’s goalie depth chart. Now, he’s heading into next season as the backup in Ottawa, having earned a one year, one way contract. Here were his numbers last season:
- AHL: 18-12-4, .913 SV%, 2.37 GAA, 4 Shutouts
- NHL: 8-3-1, .925 SV%, 1.99 GAA, 3 Shutouts
It was as great a year as anyone could have hoped for out of Merilainen. He essentially saved the Senators season with his fantastic play while Ullmark was hurt. Now, he’s earned the opportunity to be a full-time NHL goalie. The Senators would probably like to have him start 30 or so games. Merilainen will turn 23 in August, making him one of the younger goalies in the NHL. It’ll be a huge season for him coming up. Play well, and he’ll earn a raise on a likely longer contract.
Mads Sogaard
If Merilainen is the great success story among Senators goalie prospects, Sogaard would have to be the opposite. He had a golden opportunity to cement himself as the next backup for the Ottawa Senators, but failed to do so. His season was ruined by injuries and poor play. Here were his numbers:
- AHL: 0-5-1, .858 SV%, 3.69 GAA
- NHL: 1-1-0, .800 SV%, 5.24 GAA
Those are ugly stats, but the worst part about it is how little Sogaard actually played. It was just last summer that he signed a two year contract with the Senators, with the idea being that he’d be the backup at the NHL level in year two. Unfortunately for Sogaard, year one went so poorly that he’s no longer going to start next season at the NHL level. With his contract being a one way deal for next season, I’d imagine he’d clear waivers quite easily, allowing him to play with Belleville with the hopes that he can bounce back. It was just the season before last that he posted a .916 SV% in 32 games at the AHL level, so he has it in him to perform if he could just stay healthy.
Lucas Beckman
Beckman was just selected in the fourth round of the 2025 NHL Draft. That’s the highest the Senators have selected a goalie since they took Merilainen in the third round in 2020. He played last season with Baie-Comeau in the QMJHL. Here were his stats:
- 31-18-2, .914 SV%, 2.65 GAA, 4 Shutouts
He ranked first in wins, third in SV% and tied for third in shutouts. He also posted a .922 SV% in 11 playoff games. Beckman only turns 18 in August. So why was he just the ninth goalie selected in the draft? Well, at 6’2″, 182 lbs, he is undersized. Imagine being 6’2″ and being considered small. That’s the reality of the goalie position in today’s NHL. Beckman will be back with Baie-Comeau next season. If he plays well, he should also earn consideration for Canada’s World Junior team.
Kevin Reidler
Reidler was a fifth round pick of the Senators in 2022. Since then, he’s played in Sweden, in the USHL, and last season in the NCAA. He was the backup for the University of Nebraska-Omaha. Here were his numbers:
- 4-1-0, .920 SV%, 2.74 GAA
While .920 is a solid save percentage, only playing 319 minutes isn’t what you’d want as a developing goalie. That’s why it makes sense that Reidler transferred to Penn State. Penn State is heading into next season as one of the most exciting teams in college hockey, having recently added Gavin McKenna to an already strong roster. The goal for Reidler will be to win the starting job. If he accomplishes that, he’ll have a great chance to play a whole lot more than he did last season.
Vladimir Nikitin
Nikitin was a seventh round pick of the Senators in 2023. Last year didn’t quite go as he would’ve hoped. He started in the MHL, playing for Snezhnye Barsy Astana. The MHL is the Russian junior league, and Nikitin’s team was absolutely dreadful. They won just 14 of 54 games. Nikitin left the team partway through the season. He ended up playing for Kazakhstan at the World Junior Tournament. Then, he finished out the year with the Nanaimo Clippers in the BCHL. Here were his stats:
- MHL: 4-8-0, .884 SV%, 4.61 GAA
- World Juniors: 0-5-0, .836 SV%, 6.07 GAA
- BCHL: 11-2-0, .924 SV%, 2.35 GAA
Needless to say, both his MHL team and Kazakhstan were outmatched game after game. It must’ve been nice to join a solid BCHL team, where Nikitin put up solid numbers. Next season, Nikitin doesn’t appear to have a set plan as of yet. You’d think a jump up in competition would make sense, but playing time is also going to be a priority for Nikitin. He also doesn’t want to end up in a situation like the start of last year where he was playing on a horrible team.
Andrei Trofimov
The Senators selected Trofimov in the seventh round of the most recent draft. Here were his stats from the MHL:
- 13-7-2, .929 SV%, 2.10 GAA, 3 Shutouts
Those are solid numbers, and it sounds like Trofimov will return to that same league next season, once again playing with Stalnye Lisy Magnitogorsk. With Trofimov, we’re talking about a soon to 19 year old seventh round pick. He is so young and has a long way to go before really working his way on the radar as a potential NHL goalie. These next few seasons are all about progression. For Trofimov, the hope would be to progress up to the KHL eventually, and then over to North America.
Jackson Parsons
Parsons was signed by the Senators to an entry level deal earlier this month. He was undrafted, but finished up his time in the OHL as the top goalie in the league. Here were his numbers last season with the Kitchener Rangers:
- 37-12-3, .920 SV%, 2.24 GAA, 5 Shutouts
The Rangers were a team the Senators would’ve watched a lot as they had two Sens prospects, Luke Ellinas and Matthew Andonovski, on the team. At 6’2″, Parsons is considered undersized. He’ll start his pro career next season. As of now, Sogaard is likely to be in Belleville, and the Senators also signed veteran AHL goalie Hunter Shepard. Parsons will likely have the chance to earn some AHL games, while possibly playing in the ECHL as well.
Read More: Sportsnaut’s NHL Power Rankings
