What if the Bruins traded Linus Ullmark elsewhere?

It had been rumored for a while, Don Sweeney was parting ways with his goaltending duo, Jeremy Swayman and Linus Ullmark. Swayman's contract was up, and he needed a new deal, and Ullmark had one year remaining with a $5 million AAV. Locking up $13.25 million between the pipes wasn't the move to do.

Trading Ullmark was not a surprise, but what was a surprise was the landing spot, within the Atlantic Division. Maybe not the best decision. What makes the move even more head-scratching was the return from the Ottawa Senators, a first-round draft pick in 2024, Mark Kastelic, and goalie Joonas Korpisalo. Yes, the same Korpisalo that nobody was biting on, other than Sweeney.

It's only been one season, but the question must be asked: What if Sweeney traded Ullmark elsewhere?

What if the Bruins never traded Linus Ullmark to the Ottawa Senators?

Ok, before we go too far, yes, I know, it's only been one season since the trade, but man, the results have been eye-opening.

The Senators have been struggling to become a playoff team finishing in the bottom half of the the division and Eastern Conference. What had been a weak spot for them suddenly became a strength with just the addition of Ullmark. They made the playoffs this season as a wild-card team and locked up Ullmark for the foreseeable future. Less than ideal for the Black and Gold.

Ullmark went 25-14-3 in his first season in Ottawa with a 2.72 goals against average and a .910 save percentage. He went 2-4 in the postseason in the Senators' first-round loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs. By now, you know the season that Swayman had and the bounce-back needed in 2025-26.

What do we make of the deal one year later? Well, for starters, Ottawa was a Stanley Cup Playoff team last season, and Boston finished last in the Eastern Conference, tied with the Philadelphia Flyers. Second, right now, on July 19, the Senators are more positioned roster-wise to make the playoffs next season, and the Bruins, not so much. However, there is still time to tinker with the roster for Sweeney.

Korpisalo wasn't bad for the Bruins, but with a $3 million AAV and the comments he made at the end of the season, you would think that at some point, he would be moved to free up cap space and not risk losing Michael DiPietro. Regardless, trading Ullmark to a division foe that had been struggling to make the playoffs in recent years and struggling with their goaltending may not have been the best move. Time will tell, but this is a topic that will be readdressed down the line, but the Black and Gold's path to the playoffs has gotten that much harder in the present after this deal.