The New Jersey Devils need an upgrade in goal, and out of the names they have been linked to, is Linus Ullmark the solution?
The New Jersey Devils need an upgrade in goal, and out of the names they have been linked to, is Linus Ullmark the solution?
The New Jersey Devils advanced to the second round of the 2023 playoffs with the goalie tandem of Vitek Vanecek and Akira Schmid.
Although the duo showed promise after the playoff run, the bottom fell out in 2024, with Vanecek traded and Schmid playing only 19 games.
All season long, there were rumors that New Jersey was interested in acquiring a big name like Jacob Markstrom (Calgary), Juuse Saros (Nashville), and Linus Ullmark (Boston).
Interestingly, none of those three were traded at the deadline, while Saros was the only one with a starring role in the playoffs. Markstrom didn't qualify, and Ullmark was sat in favor of a younger Jeremy Swayman.
So, if General Manager Tom Fitzgerald is set on acquiring one of these netminders, would trading for Ullmark solve New Jersey's goaltending concerns?
Ullmark is a Former Vezina Trophy Winner
Ullmark is a Buffalo Sabres sixth-round draft pick (163rd overall) from the 2012 Entry Draft. He debuted in 2015 and played parts of six seasons with the club, compiling a 50-47-13 record with a 2.78 GAA and .912 SV%.
As a free agent, Ullmark signed with the Bruins in July 2021 and was 26-10-2 in his first campaign before winning the Vezina Trophy as the NHL's best goalie in 2022-23. He led the league with a 40-6-1 record, a .938 SV%, and a 1.89 GAA.
Of course, put in context, Ullmark was in the right place at the right time as Boston set the records for most wins (65) and points (135) in the regular season.
In three seasons with the Black and Gold, he's 88-26-10 with a .924 SV% and 2.28 GAA. His statistics are better with the Bruins, who are Stanley Cup contenders, while the Sabres are still looking for their first playoff berth since 2012.
Even though elite goalies, especially Vezina-winning netminders, don't always become available, Fitzgerald would be wise to kick tires on Ullmark, but that may be as far as he should take it.
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Fitzgerald needs a goalie with playoff experience. Winning in the regular season is good, but finding a goalie who can win the most challenging 16 games in hockey is critical for winning a championship.
Ullmark has played ten playoff games and is just 3-6 in those contests with an eye-popping 3.59 GAA and .887 SV%.
Unfortunately, those statistics will not instill confidence in a fanbase who needs a netminder to steal games and give the offense a chance to work their magic in the postseason.
As the evidence indicates, on a younger team like the Sabres, Ullmark was just an average goalie and only improved once he relocated to Boston, which plays a much more structured defensive system.
Last season, the average age of a Boston defenseman was 27.8, while the Devils' was 26.2. However, once we remove Dougie Hamilton (20 games) from the equation, the number dips to 25.9.
During Ullmark's best season in Buffalo, 2019-20, he was 26, and the average age of the Sabres defensemen was 25. He finished that season 17-14-3 with a .915 SV% and .269 GAA.
Behind a younger, less experienced defensive corps., Ullmark wins a bit more than he loses, and his number doesn't hang with the position's elite.
Even though Hamilton will be back, and Luke Hughes and Simon Nemec will be a year older, Ullmark will be 31 when he plays his next game.
Realistically, Ullmark may have already peaked as an NHL goaltender with his Vezina-winning season in 2022-23.
The Bruins are backing Swayman to be their goalie of the future, which makes Ullmark expandable just 12 months removed from being the league's best statistical goalie.
Considering he's just a year away from free agency, he may bounce back in 2024-25 to earn the last big contract of his career.
However, unlike Marc-Andre Fleury, who won the Vezina at 36, Ullmark may not put up the same numbers in a different system, as seen by Fleury's dip since leaving the Vegas Golden Knights in 2021.
As for the other contenders for the starting job in New Jersey, Markstrom is 34, and Saros is 29. This leaves Ullmark in the middle of the trio.
Whether or not he ends up in red is one of the offseason's most intriguing questions.
However, statistics never lie, meaning Ullmark may not be the answer Fitzgerald seeks.