Linus Ullmark trade: Analyzing pros and cons of Bruins’ return originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The much-anticipated Linus Ullmark trade has been made.
Just a few minutes before Monday night’s Game 7 of the 2024 Stanley Cup Final, the Boston Bruins announced they had traded Ullmark to the Ottawa Senators in exchange for goalie Joonas Korpisalo, forward Mark Kastelic and a 2024 first-round draft pick (25th overall).
The Senators also will retain 25 percent of Korpisalo’s salary, which decreases his salary cap hit from $4 million to $3 million.
At first glance, the Bruins’ return for a Vezina-winning goalie is a little underwhelming, even though Ullmark has just one more year left on his contract and reportedly does not have an extension in place with the Senators at this time. However, the quality of this return will largely be determined by what the B’s do with the No. 25 pick and how they use the additional salary cap space created.
Bruins general manager Don Sweeney does have a great trade history. He consistently wins these deals. It’s arguably the part of his job that he does best.
With that in mind, let’s analyze the initial pros and cons of the trade.
Pro: Getting a first-round pick
The Bruins did not pick in the first round in four of the last six drafts because they’ve traded away so many recent selections. They came into Monday without a pick in the first three rounds of the 2024 NHL Draft. The B’s now have the 25th overall pick on Friday.
Fun fact: this pick was originally owned by the Bruins. They sent it to the Red Wings in the Tyler Bertuzzi trade in 2023. The Red Wings later dealt it to the Senators as part of the Alex DeBrincat trade.
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The 2024 draft is viewed by many experts as weaker than normal. However, the Bruins’ prospect pool is one of the worst in the league, especially after Matthew Poitras and Mason Lohrei made the jump to the NHL level last season. Boston’s system could really use an infusion of young talent, and if the Bruins keep the pick, they can add a talented player to the mix.
