This former Bruins star should have plenty of success in Ottawa.
Late last month, the Boston Bruins traded away star goalie Linus Ullmark to the Ottawa Senators. Ullmark had been the subject of trade rumors for quite some time, so the move was unsurprising. However, given how incredibly he played during his three-year stint as a Bruin, it was naturally a hard pill for many Bruins fans to swallow.
However, it was also time for the Bruins to make this move. Jeremy Swayman officially stole the crease during the playoffs and is clearly the club's long-term answer between the pipes. In addition, Ullmark is entering the final season of his deal, so the Bruins wanted to get something for him instead of potentially losing him for nothing next offseason.
Now that the constant trade rumors surrounding UIlmark are over, he can focus on next season, knowing he will be a Senator. With this, he has all the potential in the world to thrive with the Senators from here.
Linus Ullmark
Over the last few seasons, Ullmark shared the net with Swayman. Yet, now that he is in Ottawa, he will unquestionably be the Senators' No. 1 guy between the pipes. Given how excellently he has played, it is hard not to feel confident that he will do the same with the Senators.
While the Bruins, Ullmark cemented himself as a legitimate star goalie. He notably won the Vezina Trophy and William M. Jennings Trophy in 2022-23. He also never had a save percentage under .915 in his three seasons in Boston. Thus, he should continue to be a high-impact goalie with this switch to Ottawa.
Ullmark has also proven that he can still be a good goalie with a bad team in front of him. Before joining the Bruins, Ullmark posted a .915 SV% and a .917 SV% in his final seasons as the Buffalo Sabres' starting goalie. While the Senators ended last season with a rough record, the primary reason was their goaltending. Thus, they are in a far better position than the Sabres were during Ullmark's final years there.
Ullmark now has a prime opportunity to help the Senators end their playoff drought. With him as their goalie, they should be a far tougher team to go up against in 2024-25. Let's see what kind of year Ullmark puts together from here.
