After free agency, the draft, and the majority of the offseason trades being done, the Ottawa Senators are looking strong in goal, and this is a full breakdown of their goaltending depth.
Throughout the rebuild and the departure of Craig Anderson, the goaltending position has been without a doubt the weakest. Whether it be leaning on Anton Forsberg as the starter, signing Joonas Korpisalo, or banking on Matt Murray, it has been a mess up until the arrival of Linus Ullmark, which led to them making the playoffs in the 2024-25 season.
Senators Goaltending Depth
Linus Ullmark – Starter
After being acquired from the Boston Bruins, Ullmark’s first season in Ottawa helped the team break a terrible streak of missing the playoffs. Signed to a four-year extension, the Senators not only have stability in the crease, but Ullmark is also one of the top goalies in the league when playing at his best.
He finished the 2024-25 season with 44 games played and a record of 25-14-3. His save percentage (SV%) of .910 was very strong, and he gave the team a chance to win every night. Ullmark has only played more than 44 games in a season once, which could be a reason for some concern, but he has also been a part of a very strong tandem for the majority of his career.
After dealing with some back injuries that held him out of the lineup, the hope is for 2025-26 to be a healthier season, and see him push for closer to 55 games.
During the playoffs, Ullmark was, of course, the go-to starter, and in the six-game series, he had just a .880 SV%, though he was far from the reason they lost. There is a lot of confidence in Ullmark from the team, staff, and fans, and he is certainly going to be a big part of the future for the Senators.
Leevi Merilainen – Backup
After saving the Senators’ season in 2024-25, Leevi Merilainen is going to get a shot at being the full-time backup goaltender behind Ullmark. With the Senators dealing with goaltending injuries and a shaky start to the season, Merilainen made his season debut and in 12 games this past season, he posted a 8-3-1 record, three shutouts, and a .925 SV%. Without that stretch of hockey, the Senators would not have been able to claw back and earn a playoff spot.
Related: Senators’ Merilainen’s Emergence Comes At Perfect Time
Merilainen has done well at every single level he has played at. In Finland, he set multiple rookie records in the Liiga, he has done well while bouncing around the American Hockey League (AHL) and ECHL, and the future is incredibly bright for the 22-year-old goaltender.
Mads Sogaard – AHL Starter
In a perfect world, Mads Sogaard is going to be the starter for the Belleville Senators in the AHL, and he will do very well. The 6-foot-7 Danish goaltender has a lot of the right skills to become a good goaltender, and he clearly has the size, but he struggles to stay healthy. In 2024-25, Sogaard played just 10 games across the NHL and AHL, and spent most of the season injured. He could certainly come back and prove everybody doubting him wrong, but only time will tell.
To this point, Sogaard has fallen out of favour as the goalie of the future, with Merilainen taking that role.
Jackson Parsons – Depth
After winning the ‘Goaltender of the Year’ award in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), the Senators signed Parsons to an entry-level contract after seeing him go undrafted. Parsons had a 37-12-3 record in 52 games with a 2.24 goals against average (GAA) and a .920 SV%. He backstopped the Kitchener Rangers to a deep playoff run, but ultimately fell short against the London Knights in the Conference Final.
Parsons clearly has the talent to be a good goaltender, and as he transitions to the pro level, he will be a name to watch as the Senators continue to add depth to the goalie pipeline.
Hunter Shepard – Depth
After playing for the AHL’s Hershey Bears and five games with the Washington Capitals, Hunter Shepard hit free agency after spending five years with that organization. Shepard put together an excellent resume in the NCAA and was signed by the Capitals in 2020.
The expectation is that Shepard will serve as AHL depth and could battle alongside Parsons for a role with Belleville.
Goaltending Prospects Playing Elsewhere
The Senators continue to add to the goaltending depth through the draft, and have four other goaltenders playing elsewhere.
Kevin Reidler – Penn. State – NCAA
After two seasons with the Univ. of Nebraska-Omaha, Kevin Reidler has transferred to Penn. State and will look to take over the starting job there. Penn. State has some fantastic talent, including Gavin McKenna and Luke Misa, and could look to be a very threatening team in the Big 10. Reidler was selected in the fifth round in 2022, stands at 6-foot-6, and in a big role with Penn. State could take a big step in his development.
Vladimir Nikitin – To Be Determined
After playing in the BCHL for two seasons, between the Nanaimo Clippers and Chilliwack Chiefs, Vladimir Nikitin has been slowly developing and while he had a great season with the Clippers, it will take some higher-level competition to see where he is truly at. He hasn’t announced where he is playing this upcoming season.
Lucas Beckman – Baie-Comeau Drakkar – QMJHL
Selected in the fourth round of the most recent draft, Lucas Beckman is going to return to the Baie-Comeau Drakkar of the Quebec Maritime Junior Hockey League (QMJHL).
As Jordan Orth wrote about Beckman, “Finding holes in Beckman’s game is hard, as he is a really sound, all-around netminder. The biggest downfall to the QMJHL regular-season wins leader is his size. Being on the smaller side could see him fall in the draft somewhat. But with that being said, being as sound as he is in the crease starts with being very calm and poised under pressure. Fighting through traffic to get eyes on shots from farther out has helped Beckman immensely this season, showing a strong capability of tracking the puck movement.”
Andrei Trofimov – Stalnye Lisy Magnitogorsk – MHL
After taking a flyer on Andrei Trofimov in the seventh round in the 2025 NHL Entry Draft, he is expected to return to the Russian junior league, where he posted a great season with a .929 SV% across 26 games.
Senators Have Great Goaltending Depth
From top to bottom, the Senators have a lot of promise in the crease. The only questions regarding the goaltending for the Senators is whether Merilainen is ready to be a full-time NHL goaltender, which all signs indicate he is, and if Sogaard can stay healthy. With Ullmark leading the way, promising players like Parsons and Beckman in the pipeline, and potential surprises, there isn’t much to worry about right now.
