Linus Ullmark was relieved to stay with the Boston Bruins after the March 8 trade deadline. As the deadline approached, rumors circulated that the New Jersey Devils and Los Angeles Kings might be interested in the 30-year-old netminder.
Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman constitute one of the league’s strongest goaltending tandems. They’re playing important roles in the Bruins exceeding expectations during what was expected to be a transition year.
That excellent goalie duo has also fueled trade whispers surrounding Ullmark since January. With the younger Swayman on track to become the Bruins’ full-time starter, having Ullmark on the roster is a luxury.
Trading him would net them one or two quality assets while also clearing his $5 million cap burden, allowing them to address other roster concerns. Following the deadline, Belle Fraser cited claims that the Bruins had reached an agreement to trade Ullmark to the Los Angeles Kings before Friday’s deadline.
Neither the goaltender nor Bruins General Manager Don Sweeney verified or disputed the claim. “At the end of the day, I’m not ever going to get into a conversation with what I may have talked to Linus about,” Sweeney told reporters on Friday.
“I’ve acknowledged we’ve explored different situations, and we had opportunities to move different players.” Michael De Rosa highlighted Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman’s claim on Saturday that Sweeney had contact with teams that were not on Ullmark’s 16-team no-trade list. He feels the negotiations can continue during the offseason.
According to a source quoted by Jimmy Murphy of Boston Hockey Now, 14 of the teams on Ullmark’s no-trade list are from the Western Conference.
That might make it tough for Sweeney to find a good trade partner, especially if he wishes to relocate the goalie outside of the Eastern Conference. Ullmark’s cap hit may potentially be a sticking issue.
However, with the salary cap expected to grow by more than $4 million in 2024-25, clubs with plenty of budget space may afford to add the former Vezina Trophy winner to their rosters.
