Linus Ullmark Nearing Return As Senators' Goaltending Concerns Suddenly Fade (For Now)

The Senators appear to be on the verge of getting their number one goaltender back, potentially as early as Tuesday night when the Washington Capitals visit Canadian Tire Centre.

The game is scheduled to be Alex Ovechkin's second-last regular season appearance in Ottawa, assuming the Capitals' superstar follows through on his plans to retire at the end of the season.

The Senators indicated over the weekend that Linus Ullmark was getting very close to returning. He's been participating fully in practice, and there were two more encouraging developments on Sunday.

First, the club reassigned goaltender Jonas Johansson to the Belleville Senators of the American Hockey League, seemingly clearing the way for Ullmark's return. Postmedia's Bruce Garrioch also reported that Ullmark has officially been removed from injured reserve.

Ullmark has been sidelined since October 21, when he suffered a lower-body injury during the Senators' 5-1 victory over the Florida Panthers. He was injured while making a save on a long-distance shot from former teammate Brady Tkachuk and hasn't played since.

Since joining the Senators in 2024, Ullmark has struggled with consistency, both in performance and his ability to stay in the lineup.

Performance-wise, something clicked after the Olympics and last spring's playoffs. Since then, Ullmark has been outstanding. In his four playoff starts, his save percentage was .926 or better in every game. Through eight appearances this fall, the 33-year-old has posted a 7-1-0 record, a 1.33 goals-against average and a .945 save percentage.

But the fact that backup Samuel Ersson has found his groove is just as big. As excited as the Sens are about Ullmark being ready to return, they still need their backup to be on his game for a ton of hockey this season. Ullmark has never played 50 games in an NHL season and there's no reason to think he will this year. 

Thanks to Ersson, the drop off from Ullmark to the backup position doesn't seem quite as steep anymore. After a difficult start to his Senators career, Ersson has won three consecutive starts, allowing just four goals in the process.

He began the turnaround with a 5-1 victory over San Jose last week, followed by a 2-1 win in Buffalo on Wednesday. On Saturday night, Ersson turned aside 30 of 32 shots as the Senators defeated the Utah Mammoth 4-2.

That's a .950 save percentage over his last three starts, a welcome turnaround for a goaltender who struggled mightily through the opening weeks of the season.

What looked like a potential weakness just a week ago has suddenly become a relative area of strength. And with Ullmark apparently ready to return, the Senators' goaltending looks rather promising. 

But don't blame Sens fans if they knock on wood.

By Steve Warne
The Hockey News Ottawa