The Ottawa Senators made another roster cut on Sept. 30, but this time much smaller than the last. Leevi Merilainen, Filip Roos, and Donovan Sebrango were all assigned to the Belleville Senators of the American Hockey League (AHL), and winger Nikolay Kulemin was released from his professional tryout.
With very few spots still available, the Senators are cutting the roster back by a few more names.
Merilainen Hopes For Stronger AHL Season
The expectation was always that Merilainen would be sent to the AHL. He is the fourth goalie in the organizational depth chart behind Linus Ullmark, Anton Forsberg, and Mads Sogaard. With that being said, Merilainen is still a prospect with a lot of promise but will look for a better AHL season to help take the next step in his development.
At just 22 years old, there is still a lot of runway for Merilainen. He had a phenomenal start to his pro career in Finland, posting a .917 save percentage (SV%) which landed him second in the entire league, and led the league and set a rookie record with eight shutouts. After coming to North America and joining the AHL team, Merilainen posted a .933 SV% in four games. In his first full season with the Senators organization, he split time between the ECHL and AHL, where his numbers were predictably better in the ECHL with a .926 SV% and a .906 SV% in the AHL.
Depending on the Senators’ plan with Sogaard, whether they run with three goaltenders in the NHL or not, which is unlikely, Merilainen is bound to get a lot more AHL time either way. He will be playing behind Sogaard, but with injury concerns with Forsberg, Sogaard could see s fair amount of NHL time this season.
Roos, Sebrango Looking For Good Development
After not being qualified by the Chicago Blackhawks, Roos signed with the Senators and can provide good depth in the AHL on the left side of the defense. There wasn’t much of a chance for him to make the NHL squad as it was clear the team had their eyes set on Tyler Kleven for the third-pair spot that was open. With that being said, Roos did also struggle in the preseason and didn’t quite look up to speed. The AHL is a better place for him to play, and show the Senators they can trust him.
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As for Sebrango, being the only player on the roster directly from the Alex DeBrincat trade doesn’t necessarily make him more valuable to the organization, especially with new management, but among the fanbase, it would be great to see Sebrango work out. He does have the potential to become a third-pair defenseman, but again, with Kleven being the guy for the spot, there wasn’t much of a chance for him.
Both players will need to play well in the AHL and provide the team with strong stability on the defense group. The team historically hasn’t had a strong defense, so getting prospects and players down there that can help will not only help those ones, but everyone on the team with their development.
Senators Release Kulemin From PTO
A Cinderella-esque story for Kulemin and his comeback to the NHL would have been a great story to follow along throughout the year, but at 38 years old, the 10-year NHL veteran was a longshot to make the roster.
Having the leadership on the team is important, but general manager Steve Staios was busy adding that throughout the offseason. In his prime NHL days, Kulemin was a good defensive bottom-six winger, but again, at 38 years old, the expectations weren’t high for him in the preseason.
The Remaining Players Depth Chart
The remaining players in the depth chart battling for a spot are as follows:
| LW | C | RW |
| Brady Tkachuk | Tim Stutzle | Claude Giroux |
| David Perron | Josh Norris | Drake Batherson |
| Ridly Greig | Shane Pinto | Michael Amadio |
| Nick Cousins | Jan Jenik | Zack MacEwen |
| Noah Gregor | Zack Ostapchuk | Adam Gaudette |
| LD | RD |
| Jake Sanderson | Artem Zub |
| Thomas Chabot | Nick Jensen |
| Tyler Kleven | Jacob Bernard-Docker |
| Travis Hamonic | |
| Carter Yakemchuk |
The Senators are left with three players to cut. Two forwards and a defenseman is likely how the Senators will move forward with the group they have left.
Adam Gaudette is the most likely one left to be cut, and if they go with another forward, it will be one of Zack Ostapchuk or Jan Jenik. So far in the preseason, Jenik has been an excellent player for the team, and while Ostapchuk has done a good job of doing what needs to be done, Jenik has the edge as of now.
On defense is where things get interesting. Sending Carter Yakemchuk to the Western Hockey League (WHL) makes the most sense, but he has been spectacular. Travis Hamonic is a lock because of his no-move clause, to if they opt to keep Yakemchuk, even for his nine-game trial before going to the WHL, they will need to waive Jacob Bernard-Docker.
Bernard-Docker cleared waivers last season, but after having his best season in the NHL so far, it is more likely he gets claimed. That would mean that the Senators would need to either keep Hamonic or Yakemchuk in the lineup long-term, or cross their fingers and hope Bernard-Docker clears.
It is most likely that Yakemchuk does go to the WHL, but it is impossible to deny his play earning him a spot so far.
Time will tell, but the preseason is getting ready to close, and there are no easy decisions left.
