Senators acquire former Sabers goaltender

There’s nothing like a decisive rally right before the start of the biggest game in NHL history, right? The big trade sends Boston Bruins goalie Linus Ullmark to the Ottawa Senators in exchange for Boston’s original 2024 first-round pick (25th overall), Mark Kastelic and Joonas Korpisalo. Ottawa keeps 25% of Korpisalo’s salary as part of the deal.

This is a divisional shake-up from the Buffalo Sabers’ perspective. The Sabers are very familiar with Ullmark, who spent six seasons in the organization. He was drafted in the sixth round, 163rd overall, by Buffalo in 2012.

After winning the Vezina Trophy as the best goaltender in the NHL, Ullmark saw his starts decrease considerably thanks to the exceptional play of Jeremy Swayman. He was 39-22-10 in 2023-24 with a 2.57 goals-against average and a .915 save percentage.

The Bruins will lean more on Swayman now that Ullmark is traded, who posted a 43-25-10 record with a 2.53 goals-against average and .916 save percentage.

As for Ottawa’s return, receiving a first-round pick for an expected backup goalie doesn’t happen often. Ullmark was a luxury piece for Boston, as the team provides a great environment around its goalies to maximize their production.

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Mark Kastelic is a gritty fourth-line center who should translate well to Boston. He had five goals and five assists in 63 games played last season. He has 14 goals in his 144-game career.

Joonas Korpisalo is an interesting addition to this trade, as he only has one year left before propelling the Los Angeles Kings to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. He signed a big five-year, $20 million contract with the Senators before the season started. Ottawa will now consume $1 million of that salary for the next four seasons.

Korpisalo’s $3 million per season cap hit frees up $2 million for the Bruins, giving them some flexibility ahead of the NHL draft and free agency. Boston is rumored to be looking for a top-six center to complement stars David Pastrnak and Brad Marchand.