Linus Ullmark, previously with the Boston Bruins, has decided to extend his stay with the Ottawa Senators for another four years. This move comes after a high-profile trade in June brought him to the Senators. The 31-year-old goalie still had one year remaining on his previous contract, which had an average annual value of $5 million. However, his new deal, set to kick in during the 2025-26 season, will see his AAV increase to $8.25 million, matching his former Bruins teammate Jeremy Swayman’s salary cap hit.
Senators’ president of hockey operations and general manager, Steve Staios, expressed his excitement over securing Ullmark’s services for the long term. He mentioned that Linus has quickly embraced the team’s culture and his family has felt the warmth of the Ottawa-Gatineau community. The decision to sign Ullmark to an extension was influenced by his stellar performance alongside Swayman, which helped the Bruins maintain the lowest goals-against average in the league over the past three seasons. However, with both goalies vying for playing time, Boston opted to keep Swayman and trade Ullmark to Ottawa, acquiring Joonas Korpisalo in return.
Having already spent six seasons with the Buffalo Sabres and three with the Bruins, Ullmark is now entering his 10th NHL season. His accolades include winning the Vezina Trophy for the league’s best goaltender in 2022-23, followed by a solid performance last season with a 22-10-7 record and a .915 save percentage. The Senators, who struggled with poor goaltending last season, hope that Ullmark’s presence will shore up their defense, especially after ranking last in the NHL in save percentage.
In a statement, Ullmark expressed his satisfaction with the fit he has found in Ottawa, emphasizing the importance of family considerations at this stage of his career. The new contract would position him as the fourth-highest paid active goalie in the NHL by AAV in the upcoming season, tied with Swayman and trailing behind top earners like Sergei Bobrovsky, Andrei Vasilevskiy, and Connor Hellebuyck. However, this ranking is subject to change pending a new contract for New York Rangers’ goalie, Igor Shesterkin, who is set to become an unrestricted free agent next summer.
With this contract extension, Ullmark solidifies his commitment to the Senators and aims to contribute to the team’s success on the ice. The Senators’ fans can look forward to seeing more of Ullmark’s impressive saves and goaltending skills in the seasons to come.