Linus Ullmark expressed reservations about being moved before the March 8 trade deadline, primarily because an in-season deal might have required him to uproot his family, according to a source close to the Boston Bruins goaltender. The 30-year-old and his wife, Moa, have two school-aged children, Harry and Lily. Fate was not necessarily Ullmark’s concern.
It’s unknown if Ullmark would feel the same way about an offseason trade. Being transferred in the summer would give Ullmark and his wife time to find a home and settle their children into a new school before the start of the 2024-25 academic year.
Ullmark and CEO Don Sweeney declined to answer whether the goalkeeper exercised his partial trade protection. According to CapFriendly, 16 teams are on Ullmark’s no-trade list. He would have to approve a transfer to any of those clubs.
Before the deadline, Ullmark expressed his concerns to Patrice Bergeron. Ullmark said he found it reassuring to talk to the former captain about his situation.
“I’m sure it wasn’t easy for him and his family,” Bergeron said at the time Ullmark was in trade talks. “He has children enrolled in school. I’m sure his head was spinning. If it was going to happen, it would be like, ‘Okay, what do I do? My children are in school. My wife is here.’”
If Ullmark is willing to work with the Bruins regarding an offseason trade, it could help both sides proceed. Ullmark became an afterthought amid the rise of Jeremy Swayman, the Bruins’ best postseason player. Becoming another team’s No. 1 goaltender would give Ullmark a chance to earn an extension or a new contract elsewhere as an unrestricted free agent in 2025.
Ullmark has one season left on his four-year, $20 million contract. The 2022-23 Vezina Trophy winner had a .915 save percentage in 39 regular-season starts in 2023-24. Swayman hit .916 in 43 starts. For a team looking for a net upgrade, trading for Ullmark would have a bigger impact than signing Ilya Samsonov, Cam Talbot or Alex Nedeljkovic, three goaltenders who will be unrestricted on July 1.
Meanwhile, the Bruins would clear the net for Swayman to be the number one goaltender. Swayman approached the moment under the physical and mental pressure of the playoffs, although he acknowledged that he fell short of Gustav Forsling’s game-winning goal in Game 6. Swayman’s streak of 12 starts confirmed that he is ready to be a workhorse . Juuse Saros of the Nashville Predators led all goaltenders with 64 regular season starts in 2023-24. Swayman made 43 starts.
Moving Ullmark would also create an opportunity for Brandon Bussi to play Swayman’s supporting role. Bussi, 25, has yet to appear in the NHL. The 6-foot-4, 218-pound Bussi had a .913 save percentage in 41 appearances for the Providence Bruins in 2023-24.
Swayman and Bussi will be restricted free agents on July 1. Trading Ullmark and his $5 million average annual value would help offset the raise owed to Swayman. Swayman has just received a one-year, $3.475 million arbitration award. The Bruins had the option to select a two-year contract. In retrospect, the one-year deal was a costly decision.
Playoff teams looking for improvements in goaltending include the Colorado Avalanche, Edmonton Oilers, Los Angeles Kings and Toronto Maple Leafs. The Bruins are unlikely to help the Leafs improve in net.
Non-playoff teams that need to take care of the net include the Columbus Blue Jackets, Detroit Red Wings, New Jersey Devils, Ottawa Senators, Philadelphia Flyers and San Jose Sharks.
Moving Ullmark before the 2024 NHL Draft is a priority for the Bruins. They moved their first, second, third and seventh round picks in trades for Tyler Bertuzzi, Hampus Lindholm, Dmitry Orlov and Garnet Hathaway and Mike Callahan. Trading Ullmark for futures, as the market once projected, could give Sweeney and his scouting some much-needed action on the draft table in Las Vegas.
The return, however, could be more than just elections. The goalkeeper market will be larger in June than in March, when adapting to Ullmark’s impact would have limited the list of interested parties. The Bruins need help up front and on the left side of the defense.
Improving the team’s offense will be essential. Changing Ullmark could be the first step.
(Photo: Rich Gagnon/Getty Images)
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