Even though he has already won the Vezina Trophy, Linus Ullmark has never truly had a season as the number 1 goalie in the National League. With the Ottawa Senators, he intends to play this role and help the team win.
During the famous 2022-2023 campaign where he was voted best goalkeeper on the Bettman circuit, the 30-year-old athlete had only played 49 games, a personal high. He had won 40 times, which is huge, but he still shared his net with Jeremy Swayman.
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Now that this extraordinary duo with the Boston Bruins is part of ancient history, Ullmark is looking to the future.
“For me, it has always been a dream to be clearly considered the number 1 option and to play a lot of matches,” he said at a press briefing on Wednesday.
“We don’t play for fun, we play to win,” added the Swede. Winning is fun and losing is more boring. It’s so much harder to go to work when you’re losing. When you win often, everything is easier, the sun shines a little brighter and all situations in your life are easier to manage. Why should I change my mindset by changing teams?”
The contract will come
In fact, winning hasn’t been Ottawa’s business in recent years, even if there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Ullmark said he didn’t have to change the no-trade clause in his contract because the Senators weren’t one of the clubs he wanted to avoid.
General manager Steve Staios may have found the goaltender who will allow the “Sens” to return to the playoffs after seven years on the sidelines.
It’s also still too early to talk about a contract extension, even if the masked man will reach free agency next year.
“The whole contractual situation and the negotiations are things that Steve and my agent will take care of,” he assured. I told them that whenever something needs to be discussed, they can always reach out to me. I try not to look too far ahead.”
In Ottawa, Ullmark will find a close friend in Anton Forsberg, who will be his assistant in net. Will a bond like that which developed with Swayman develop? One thing is certain, fans in Boston will miss their famous victory hugs.
Recall that the Bruins obtained a first-round pick in 2024, goaltender Joonas Korpisalo and forward Mark Kastelic with this transaction concluded on Monday.
