For the better part of a year, one of the biggest questions surrounding the Boston Bruins was whether or not they would end up trading Linus Ullmark. They tried at the trade deadline in March but did not whether it was because they didn’t get the right trade they liked or Ullmark used his NTC to deny a deal.
That all changed Monday night when Boston GM Don Sweeney traded the 2023 Vezina Trophy-winning netminder to the Ottawa Senators, a team that had been linked to him for a while. For the Bruins, the return package was not as big as they had hoped.
Bruins get underwhelming return package for Linus Ullmark with Ottawa
Sweeney traded Ullmark to Ottawa for the Senators 2024 first-round pick, 25th overall which was originally Boston’s, and was sent away last season at the trade deadline in a deal to acquire Tyler Bertuzzi from the Detroit Red Wings. Also coming back to the Bruins are goalie Joonas Korpisalo and center Mark Kastelic. The Senators will also retain 25% of Korpisalo’s contract which carries a $4 million AAV.
Kastelic is a big body at 6-foot-4 and 226 points and had five goals and 10 points this past season in 63 games. Korpisalo was not good this past season for the Senators sporting a 21-26-4 record with a 3.27 GAA and an .890 SV%. Despite Ottawa not being a very good team, there should be some concern with his numbers if you’re a Black and Gold fan.
Yes, the return is rather underwhelming, and with Ullmark and Ottawa not agreeing to an extension when the deal was made and him currently going on the final year of his contract that carries an AAV of $5 million, it made it that much less. Boston would have loved to have had defenseman Jakob Chychrun as part of the deal, but with no extension, no Chychrun.
Sweeney traded Ullmark and his $5 million and took back $3 million (after retention) freeing up another $2 million in cap space for free agency next month, but they also need to spend a portion of that on a new contract for Jeremy Swayman. They also have a top-six center and wing concern as well as their own pending UFAs.
