The Ottawa Senators were back at it, selecting goalie Leevi Meriläinen 71st overall, a pick the Sens received from the Winnipeg Jets in exchange for the (newly extended) Dylan DeMelo. The Sens have made a habit of selecting a goalie in several recent drafts, with Mads Sogaard taken last year, Kevin Mandolese the year before, and Jordan Hollett in 2017. With the importance of goaltending in the NHL, it makes sense to always have a developing goalie prospect in the system.
He’s played as part of the Kärpät system in Finland for the last few years, progressing from their U16 team last year to their U20 team this past season, putting up a .