During the 2024 NHL Trade Deadline, the Boston Bruins were rumored to be interested in moving on from reigning Vezina goaltender Linus Ullmark. The unfortunate part for Boston was Ullmark’s no-trade clause, which he used to block a trade prior to the deadline.
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The Colorado Avalanche, Carolina Hurricanes, Los Angeles Kings, New Jersey Devils, and Ottawa Senators were among the teams interested in Ullmark’s services. Outside of Ottawa, the teams involved are contending for Stanley Cups, and Ullmark could be viewed as the final piece to the puzzle. But in Ottawa, Ullmark could solve a problem that has haunted the Senators franchise for the last few years.
Where’s the fit in Ottawa?
Last season, the Ottawa Senators signed Joonas Korpisalo to a five-year $20m contract in free agency. Korpisalo was coming off a middling performance with the Los Angeles Kings and the Senators saw Korpisalo as their future answer in net.
Unfortunately for the Sens, he wasn’t the savior they were hoping for. Korpisalo played in 55 games, posting a 3.27 GAA and a .890 save percentage.
Following the season, Senators General Manager Steve Staios and Owner Michael Andlauer have made many comments alluding to addressing this team’s needs, especially goaltending. But with Korpisalo having term, does it make sense for the Senators to carry $9m in goaltenders if they were to acquire Ullmark?
The obvious answer is shipping Korpisalo off to a willing participant with a sweetener to relieve the cap pressure. But the other option is a little more interesting. If the Senators were willing to entertain the idea of a buyout, the Korpisalo contract wouldn’t be much of a hindrance.
What would it take?
When talking about a Ullmark trade, the first thing that comes to mind is trading within the Division. Would the Bruins be interested in handing the Senators the possible answer to their goaltending issues? The jury is out, but for argument’s sake, we will assume it’s not an issue.
Recently, Bruce Garrioch had recently spoken to a league executive who believed the Senators would have to offer defenseman Jakob Chychrun, a 2024 first-round pick, and an additional draft pick to get the deal done with the Boston Bruins.
Ottawa’s Take: Chychrun is in the final year of his deal, and the Sens have a younger defenseman ready to take on more of a role. They can afford to move on from him. They also have two first-round picks in 2024, one of which is the Bruins. That pick was obtained during the Alex DeBrincat trade.
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Ottawa has the flexibility of assets to spend this trade to improve their team. With the amount of prospects in the organization and the relatively young core, they aren’t hurting for more draft selections. The Sens could pull of this trade with ease.
Boston’s Take: Boston is in a unique scenario; Ullmark holds some control in the deal with his modified no-trade clause. He reportedly already nixed a deal to the New Jersey Devils at the deadline. During the 23-24 season, it’s 16 teams; during the 24-25 season, it’s 15 teams. Outside of that, do the Bruins really need another defenseman? With Chychrun playing the left, Boston currently has Hampus Lindholm, Mason Lohrei, and Parker Wotherspoon down the left. Could they use an upgrade? Sure, but is this the issue with their roster? Definitely not. The most enticing part of this trade would be the possibility of the Bruins getting back into the first round of the 2024 NHL Draft.
My Thoughts
Ottawa desperately needs to address their goaltending moving forward, but do they have the right assets to be the best partner for Boston? Boston desperately needs to add a legitimate top-six center, though it’s unclear how much of a ‘shake-up’ Steve Staios is willing to partake in. Does Ottawa entertain moving on from Josh Norris or Shane Pinto? You might have Don Sweeney and the Boston Bruins ready to wheel and deal.
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Ullmark has a 15 team no trade list. Highly likely Ottawa is on that list, & he has only 1yr left on his contract. Unless he sign long term, and wants to go to Ottawa, a discussion on Ullmark to Ottawa is a moot point.