Senators Call Up Embrun's Jackson Parsons And Put Linus Ullmark's Return On Hold

The Senators have decided to give Linus Ullmark a little more time before returning him to game action, opening the door for a new face in the team's goaltending picture.

On Tuesday morning, the Senators announced they've called up Embrun native Jackson Parsons to serve as the backup while Samuel Ersson gets a little more time as the starter.

It's an exciting opportunity for Parsons, who now gets a chance to experience regular season life in the NHL with his hometown team.

"Yeah, it's surreal," Parsons said. "When I got the call yesterday, it was a very happy ride up to Ottawa, calling some lifelong buddies who are also Sens fans and they couldn't believe it either. So I'm just super happy to be back."

After splitting time between the ECHL and AHL last year in his first year as a pro, Parsons has been a solid AHL full-timer in the early going. With Jonas Johansson spending a lot of time in Ottawa in the past month, Parsons has started 8 of Belleville's 14 games this season,  posting a a 4-3-1 mark, a 2.64 goals against and a .916 save percentage.

Ullmark's return appeared to be getting close over the weekend. The veteran had resumed full participation in practice and was officially removed from injured reserve, suggesting he might be ready for Tuesday night's home game against the Washington Capitals.

But the Senators have apparently decided there's no reason to rush things, especially with Ersson filling the void so nicely.

The 27-year-old enters Tuesday's game looking for his fourth straight win, a solid turnaround after a sketchy start to his Sens' career. Ersson has allowed just four goals over his last three starts.

With Ersson playing well, that gives the Senators the luxury of being conservative with Ullmark's return to play, making sure he's completely healthy. And staying healthy has been an issue for Ullmark since the day he got here.

He hasn't played since October 21, when he suffered a lower-body injury during the Senators' 5-1 victory over the Florida Panthers. His numbers have been other worldly so far with a 7-1 record, a 1.33 goals against average and a .945 save percentage.

As for Parsons, it's an exciting time for a local player who grew up just east of the city.

The Sens don't have another back to back situation until the end of the month, so he's here strictly as a backup. But simply getting the opportunity to dress for a meaningful NHL game is another memorable milestone in his young career.

Parsons is still only 21 (he turns 22 in a couple of weeks), so to even be considered for this callup suggests that his development is going nicely.

For now, though, the main backup gets the net again. And thanks to Ersson's three straight victories, that's no longer the concern it was just 10 days ago.

By Steve Warne
The Hockey News