Merilainen was placed in the AHL's concussion protocol Monday, Steve Lloyd of TSN 1200 Ottawa reports.

EDGE Analysis

Merilainen reportedly told head coach David Bell that he was fine, so it's unclear if he will be an option to face AHL Manitoba on Wednesday. While the netminder's injury won't immediately impact the Senators, it could be an issue if Linus Ullmark or Anton Forsberg gets hurt in the short term.