This Season Could Be Linus Ullmark's Last With the Boston Bruins
Boston Bruins goaltender Linus Ullmark remains with the team after the NHL trade deadline, but the speculation persists on his future come the summer.
Linus Ullmark was relieved to remain with the Boston Bruins following the March 8 trade deadline. As the deadline approached, it was rumored the New Jersey Devils and Los Angeles Kings might pursue the 30-year-old goaltender.
Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman form one of the league's best goalie tandems. They're playing key roles in the Bruins exceeding expectations during what was supposed to be a transition season.
That strong goaltending duo is also the basis for the trade rumors dogging Ullmark since January. With the younger Swayman primed to become the Bruins' full-time starter, having Ullmark on the roster is a luxury. Trading him would fetch one or two quality assets and clear his $5-million cap hit from their books, freeing up room to address other roster needs.
Following the deadline, Belle Fraser cited reports claiming the Bruins had a deal in place to send Ullmark to the Los Angeles Kings before Friday's deadline. Neither the goalie nor Bruins GM Don Sweeney confirmed or denied the story.
“At the end of the day, I’m not ever going to get into a conversation with what I may have talked to Linus about,” Sweeney told reporters on Friday. “I’ve acknowledged we’ve explored different situations, and we had opportunities to move different players.”
Michael De Rosa cited Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reporting on Saturday that Sweeney had conversations with teams that weren't on Ullmark's 16-team no-trade list. He believes those discussions could continue during the off-season.
Boston Hockey Now's Jimmy Murphy cited a source claiming 14 of the teams on Ullmark's no-trade list are in the Western Conference. That could make it difficult for Sweeney to find a suitable trade partner, especially if he prefers moving the netminder out of the Eastern Conference.
Ullmark's cap hit could also be a sticking point. However, with the salary cap projected to rise by more than $4 million for 2024-25, clubs flush with cap dollars could afford to add the former Vezina Trophy winner to their payrolls.