The Ottawa Senators reshaped their goaltending depth Friday, acquiring Jonas Johansson from the Tampa Bay Lightning for future considerations before losing Leevi Merilainen to the Vancouver Canucks on a waiver claim.
Johansson, 31, arrives in Ottawa after appearing in 25 games for Tampa Bay last season, including 23 starts. He went 11-10-2 with a 3.29 goals-against average and an .884 save percentage.
The veteran netminder has played 105 NHL games across stops with the Lightning, Colorado Avalanche, Florida Panthers and Buffalo Sabres. His career record stands at 43-36-14, with a 3.29 GAA, .889 save percentage and four shutouts.
Ottawa adds an experienced NHL option
The move gives the Senators another goalie with NHL mileage as the club adjusts its depth chart. Johansson has spent time in both starting and backup roles during his career, including Tampa Bay’s 2023-24 season, when he handled a heavy workload early in the year.
Ottawa paid future considerations in the trade, a common low-cost route for adding an established depth player before training camp.
Merilainen heads to Vancouver
Merilainen, meanwhile, was claimed by Vancouver after the Canucks put in a waiver claim on the Senators goalie Friday.
The transaction sends Merilainen west and clears a spot in Ottawa’s goaltending group following Johansson’s arrival.
