Trade talks have begun to heat up Thursday afternoon, with several sources reporting that Boston Bruins goaltender Linus Ullmark could be traded by the end of the week. The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta reports that the Ottawa Senators are ramping up preparations to acquire a goaltender. The Senators have been connected to Ullmark and have two first-round draft picks to offer.
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The Bruins would not be interested in taking back goaltender Joonas Korpisalo, who has four years remaining on his contract. The Bruins are prepared to re-sign Jeremy Swayman and have AHL goalie Brandon Bussi waiting in the wings as an option as a backup netminder. Defenseman Jakob Chychrun has been a player that Boston General Manager Don Sweeney has wanted in recent years, and the money would work for now with Chychrun up for a new deal next season.
Ullmark has a 14-team no-trade list, and reports have indicated that the former Vezina Trophy winner would waive his clause for Ottawa now. This will make it easier for Boston to make a deal and usually indicates that the teams are advanced in trade talks.
The question is what the return will be. Ottawa holds the seventh and 25th picks in the 2024 NHL Draft. That second pick was Boston’s originally. Other teams who need goaltending are Toronto, who is on Ullmark’s no-trade list, Detroit, and Carolina. New Jersey and Los Angeles obtained goaltenders Wednesday. All signs point to Boston and Ottawa being the best trade partners now.
Ullmark was 22-10-7 this season with a 2.57 goals against average and a .915 save percentage. The 30-year-old shared time with Swayman but succumbed to his counterpart during the Bruins’ postseason run and started just one playoff game. The Swedish goaltender has one year left on a $5 million contract with the Bruins.
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