The trade rumours over the last few weeks have come to fruition, as Vezina trophy-winning Boston Bruins goalie, Linus Ullmark is coming to Ottawa bolster the Senators goaltending. The trade made Monday, sends goalie Joonas Korpisalo, and forward Mark Kastelic to Boston, along with the Sens first-round (25th overall pick) in the 2024 NHL Draft.
This news comes as the Edmonton Oilers and Florida Panthers are about to face off in game 7 of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final!
Ullmark, 30, from Sweden, was 22-10-7 with a 2.57 goals-against average, .915 save percentage and two shutouts in 40 regular-season games (39 starts) this past season. He was 0-1 with a 3.90 GAA and .886 save percentage in two Stanley Cup Playoff games (one start).
Ullmark has one season remaining on a four-year, $20 million contract ($5 million average annual value) he signed with the Bruins as a free agent July 28, 2021.
Tops in the NHL in 2022-23
With the trade, the Sens are getting a ‘blue chip’ goalie as last season, Ullmark won the Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s top goaltender after he went 40-6-1 with a 1.89 GAA, .938 save percentage and two shutouts in 49 regular-season games (48 starts). However, after starting Boston’s first six games against the Florida Panthers in the 2023 Eastern Conference First Round, he was replaced by Jeremy Swayman for Game 7, a 4-3 loss in overtime.
Drafted by the Sabres
Ullmark, who was selected by the Buffalo Sabres in the sixth round (No. 163) of the 2012 NHL Draft, is 138-73-23 with a 2.51 GAA, .919 save percentage and eight shutouts in 247 regular-season games (238 starts) for the Sabres and Bruins. He is 3-6 with a 3.59 GAA and .887 save percentage in 10 playoff games (nine starts).
Korpisalo headed to Boston
Ottawa’s acquisition of Ullmark comes almost one year after it attempted to shore up its goaltending by signing Korpisalo to a five-year, $20 million contract ($4 million AAV) on July 2, 2023.
Ottawa will retain 25 percent of Korpisalo’s remaining salary as part of the deal.
However, Korpisalo went 21-26-4 with a 3.27 GAA and .890 save percentage in 55 regular-season games (49 starts) this season. Anton Forsberg was 15-12-0 with a 3.21 GAA, .890 save percentage and two shutouts in 30 games (28 starts), and Mads Sogaard was 1-3-0 with a 4.05 GAA and .859 save percentage in six games (five starts).
Selected by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the third round (No. 62) of the 2012 NHL Draft, Korpisalo is 115-107-29 with a 3.06 GAA, .901 save percentage and four shutouts in 276 regular-season games (250 starts) for the Blue Jackets, Los Angeles Kings and Senators. The 30-year-old is 5-9 with a 2.59 GAA, .922 save percentage and two shutouts in 15 playoff games.
Kastelic to Bruins
Kastelic had 10 points (five goals, five assists) in 63 games this season. The 25-year-old forward, who was selected by Ottawa in the fifth round (No. 125) of the 2019 NHL Draft, had 11 points (seven goals, four assists) and 102 penalty minutes in 65 games as a rookie last season.
First round pick was originally Boston’s pick
The first-round pick acquired by the Bruins, which will be No. 25, originally belonged to Boston before it went to Ottawa as part of the trade that sent forward Alex DeBrincat from the Senators to the Detroit Red Wings on July 9, 2023.
Perhaps the Ullmark and Forsberg duo will be as formidable as the Swayman, Ullmark Jennings Trophy-winning tandem in Boston! Sens fans sure hope so.
by Terry Lankstead with SOURCE notes: NHL.com
Other articles from totimes.ca – otttimes.ca – mtltimes.ca
