Four trade destinations to watch for Boston Bruins goaltender Linus Ullmark

Matt Larkin
Matt Larkin(MLarkinHockey)
Boston Bruins goaltender Linus Ullmark
Credit: Boston Bruins goaltender Linus Ullmark

Some of the NHL’s best masked men are about to take center stage for a fascinating offseason.

For the first time in a while, supply and demand for goaltending are perfectly aligning league wide. We have several contenders or wannabe contenders actively and openly seeking significant upgrades in net, and we also have several big-name goalies potentially available via trade or free agency. My colleague Frank Seravalli dropped his updated offseason Trade Targets board earlier this week, and it featured five goaltenders: Linus Ullmark, Juuse Saros, Filip Gustavsson, Jacob Markstrom and Elvis Merzlikins.

Today, we focus on 2022-23 Vezina Trophy winner Ullmark of the Boston Bruins. For most of this season, he formed the top tandem in the league with his great friend and post-game hug partner Jeremy Swayman. But in the playoffs, with Swayman simply playing out of his mind, coach Jim Montgomery went away from the even timeshare and only used Ullmark for one start and two appearances across two playoff rounds. Ullmark was relegated to being the best backup in the NHL.

That doesn’t make sense going forward for either side. Ullmark reportedly used his no-trade clause to veto at least one move leading up to the 2024 deadline in March, but that was before Montgomery nailed him to the bench. Now, Ullmark is entering the final year of his contract and eligible to sign an extension July 1. He has earned a significant raise on his current $5 million AAV; across the past three seasons combined, among 91 goaltenders to play at least 1,000 minutes at 5-on-5, Ullmark ranks first in goals saved above average per 60 minutes. He grades out as the best netminder over that span. Yet the Bruins have Swayman, five years Ullmark’s junior and a restricted free agent, taking the starter’s reins, not to mention Brandon Bussi functioning as one of the better goalies in the AHL and looking ready for a shot as an NHL backup. The Bruins have a depleted farm system and, as we saw this postseason, lack high-end talent behind David Pastrnak. Even captain Brad Marchand is 36 and exiting his peak years. Given how many needs this team has to fill, it would be illogical to keep Ullmark’s $5 million cap hit and to extend him at an even higher number.

Ullmark, then, is trade candidate this offseason whether he wants to be or not. He previously nixed a deal, yes, but he doesn’t have a full no-movement clause. He has a 16-team no-trade list that shrinks to 15 teams for 2024-25. He doesn’t have total agency.

Which teams would be the best fits for an Ullmark trade? Consider these options.

Colorado Avalanche

Why he makes sense: The Avs are smack in the middle of their Stanley Cup window. They won it in 2021-22 but disappointed with first- and second-round playoff losses over the past two seasons. Starting goaltender Alexandar Georgiev, who led the NHL in wins each of the past two seasons, posted save percentages of .914 and .894 over Colorado’s past two playoff runs. He simply hasn’t played at the level necessary for the Avs to go all the way and maximize the best years of Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar and Mikko Rantanen. Georgiev, like Ullmark, is a pending UFA with one year left on his deal. At a palatable $3.4 million for just one year, Georgiev would not be an overly difficult contract to move, whether he was included in a trade for Ullmark or dealt elsewhere to make room for Ullmark.

Fly in the ointment: Is Ullmark more of a luxury for a Colorado team that needs to address other needs? Valeri Nichushkin’s future is very much up in the air after he landed in stage 3 of the NHL/NHLPA player assistance program, eligible for reinstatement in six months. Gabriel Landeskog vows to return next season from his career-threatening knee injury, but his timeline is unpredictable. The Avs also have just four defenseman signed for next season. Prospect goaltender turned NHL backup Justus Annunen showed major promise this past season, so it’s possible Colorado has its starting goalie solution available from within.

Also, from Boston’s perspective, does Colorado have the right assets to score Ullmark? The Bruins need an impact forward, and the Avs don’t have a surplus there. The Bruins could use a left-shot defenseman, and Samuel Girard fits the profile, but Colorado already traded one in blueliner Bowen Byram to plug their own need up the middle with Casey Mittelstadt. Colorado, like Boston, doesn’t have a strong crop of prospects at the moment either.

Los Angeles Kings

Why he makes sense: Well, we already know the Kings shot their shot for Ullmark at the deadline. With all due respect to veterans Cam Talbot and ‘Big Save Dave’ Rittich, both are stopgaps, not long-term stalwarts in L.A.’s net. The Kings are now seven seasons into GM Rob Blake’s tenure and have not even escaped Round 1 of the playoffs. Pressure is mounting to deliver a deep run, especially while Kings royalty (pun intended) Anze Kopitar and Drew Doughty still have useful seasons left in them. While Ullmark blocked a trade to L.A. in March, we don’t know for sure it was because he disliked the fit long-term. It was reported he rejected the deal based on geography. Ullmark is married with two kids and possibly just didn’t want to move cross country in the middle of the season and school year. Maybe he’d come around to an offseason move? It’s not like L.A. is an unattractive market to most players.

Fly in the ointment: To immediately contradict myself: Ullmark did nix the deal, so convincing him to approve it this time around would theoretically take some effort. As for the return: are the Bruins desperate enough for forward help to buy low on Pierre-Luc Dubois? It appears he has already worn out his welcome on a third team after just one season as a King. The Bruins have a tight dressing room culture and could be the right group to get buy-in from Dubois. Then again, the Kings have respected veterans in their room, too. It’s not so much the $8.5 million cap hit but more the seven remaining years of term that make ‘PLD’ a dangerous acquisition. If not him, whom would L.A. dangle to Boston? The Kings’ farm crop, while not as strong as it was a few years ago, remains good, led by Brandt Clarke. But the Bruins are more likely to pursue win-now pieces.

New Jersey Devils

Why he makes sense: Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald made it pretty clear that Jake Allen was not the final brick in the team’s new goaltending foundation. Fitzgerald specifically used the term “big-game hunting,” and the stars are aligning for the Devils to make a major upgrade in goal with the market so robust. The Devils missed the playoffs but it was largely the result of injuries and borderline league-worst goaltending from Vitek Vanecek (now traded) and Akira Schmid. A correction in luck – and in goal – could instantly morph New Jersey back into a top-tier contender. This team is still stacked with young talent, led by Jack and Luke Hughes. Also working in New Jersey’s favor: they’re extremely deep, especially at forward. A player like Dawson Mercer, who can play multiple forward positions and hasn’t always been able to crack New Jersey’s top six, would be an ideal target for the Bruins.

Fly in the ointment: The Devils reportedly rejected a Saros trade that would’ve sent Mercer to the Predators. With so many options out there – on top of the trade candidates, the UFAs include Talbot, Laurent Brossoit, Anthony Stolarz and more – the Devils have some leverage. They also have more than $18 million in projected cap space, with RFA Mercer their lone key unsigned player for next season, so Fitzgerald could go the free agent route and add a goalie without giving up any assets.

Ottawa Senators

Why he makes sense: According to The Ottawa Citizen’s Bruce Garrioch, GM Steve Staios made a play for Ullmark leading up to the Trade Deadline. The Senators, itching to break through after years of being handed a playoff spot on paper by excited summer prognosticators, need to shake things up. They’re also probably positioned better than any other potential suitor to make an offer for Ullmark. With Shane Pinto taking a huge step forward this year, they may be willing to move center Josh Norris should the Bruins be willing to buy low on a talented but injury-prone player. Drake Batherson would be another interesting forward to kick the tires on. And Jakob Chychrun would certainly fill Boston’s need for a left-shot defenseman.

Fly in the ointment: Ottawa already tried throwing goaltending at their problem last summer when they signed Joonas Korpisalo to a five-year deal at a $4 million AAV. It was a disaster. While it’s true their underlying defensive metrics weren’t as bad as their results, which indicates goaltending was their undoing, it’s not like Ottawa was good defensively. It still allowed the eighth-most 5-on-5 scoring chances in the league. Korpisalo’s numbers regressed badly as he transitioned from the Kings to the Senators. Could the same thing happen to Ullmark? Also, acquiring him would create a logjam between him, Korpisalo and Anton Forsberg at a combined $11.75 million, and while a Korpisalo buyout would create major cap savings in the short term, it would require paying him for eight years.

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