For the 2024–25 season, Swiss club SC Bern has signed 25-year-old European player Waltteri Merela. Julien BriseBois signed Merela a little over a year ago after he helped Tappara of Finland win the Liiga title in consecutive years. Late in January, he was called up to the NHL and scored his first goal in a game against the Minnesota Wild.
With 55 games played in the AHL, Merela scored 15 goals and added 19 assists for a total of 34 points. He scored three more goals in the playoffs, including the game-winning goal in double overtime versus Rochester. Creating attack off the rush was where Merela really shone offensively. Having said that, he did not rank among the top five players for low-danger opportunities, shots on goal, scoring chances, or total shot attempts. Now that Merela is leaving for Switzerland, another Crunch player has a better shot at earning a spot on the Lightning’s bottom two lines, as there is one fewer player vying for that opportunity.
Even though the Lightning might keep Merela’s rights by making him a qualifying offer, they’ve been known to waive players in the past. By the beginning of next season, Merela will be 26 years old, so it’s not completely out of the question that he makes a comeback to the NHL, although he probably won’t be playing for the Lightning.
