The Boston Bruins traded Linus Ullmark to the Ottawa Senators, breaking up the NHL’s best goaltending tandem.
Ullmark, 30, was sent to the Senators on Monday for forward Mark Kastelic, goaltender Joonas Korpisalo and a 2024 first-round draft pick (No. 25). Ottawa will retain 25% of Korpisalo’s salary.
Ullmark has one more year left on this contract at a $5 million salary cap hit. He has a partial no-trade clause.
The Bruins were blessed with a goaltending pairing of Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman that was the foundation for their stellar team defense. The duo won the Jennings Trophy for the fewest goals allowed in 2022-23, when Ullmark won the Vezina Trophy as the league’s top goaltender.
But in 2023-24, Swayman earned slightly more games in the regular season and the majority of starts in Boston’s postseason run that ended in the second round. Swayman, 25, is a restricted free agent and is expected to earn a long-term, big-money deal with the Bruins. Considering the team’s other needs, trading Ullmark and his salary made sense from a financial standpoint.
In a statement posted on social media, Boston general manager Don Sweeney thanked Ullmark for his “contributions” to the club, calling him “a star on and off the ice.”
Ullmark was 22-10-7 with a .915 save percentage and a 2.57 goals-against average this season.
Korpisalo, 30, has four years left on a five-year contract he signed as a free agent last summer with the Senators. The salary retention means the Bruins acquire him at a $3 million cap hit. Korpisalo, who also has a limited no-trade clause, was a major disappointment for the Senators this season with an .890 save percentage and a 3.27 goals-against average in 55 games.
They rid themselves of that contract and bring on one of the NHL’s top netminders to join a new tandem with goalie Anton Forsberg, 31, who is signed through next season.
Kastelic, 25, appeared in 63 games during the 2023-24 campaign, recording five goals and five assists for 10 points. He is a 6-foot-4 center drafted in the fifth round in 2019 who ranked third on the Senators in penalty minutes (63) this season. He will be entering his fourth NHL season.
