Merilainen was picked 48th overall and was the third goalie off the board.
The 18-year-old played the 2020-21 season with Karpat in Finland's SM-sarja junior U20 league and earned a record of 21-0-3 to lead the league in wins while posting team highs in save percentage (.928) and in goals-against average (1.71). He also registered a league-high six shutout victories.
Selected with the 71st overall pick in the 2020 NHL Draft, Merilainen signed his entry-level contract with Ottawa on June 14.
