Senators Re-sign Linus Ullmark to Four-Year, $8.25 Million Extension!
Photo Credit: Tony Caldwell/Postmedia Entertainment
Written By: Tyler Beauchesne
Oh my god, I cannot believe this is my life! This is the best day ever! Okay, I had to get that out now let’s get right to business. This morning, General Manager Steve Staios signed Linus Ullmark to a four-year, $33 million extension. This deal keeps Ullmark with the team until the 2028-2029 season, and I couldn’t be happier about five years of him between the pipes for the Ottawa Senators.
For years, we as a fanbase got told nobody wanted to play for Ottawa. The Canadian market was tough, our taxes were too high, and our media was incredibly critical. The team traded three picks for Alex DeBrincat, just for him to be disappointing production-wise, forcing former general manager Pierre Dorion to send him to Detroit at Cat’s request (Thank god he did through). Jakob Chychrun came here from a trade made with the former Arizona Coyotes, only to be sent to the Washington Capitals for a third-rounder and Nick Jensen. Vladimir Tarasenko signed a one-year deal last offseason, just to get traded at the deadline for some mid-round picks to the Florida Panthers. Claude Giroux was a phenomenal get in free agency, but at a certain point, he felt more like an outlier than the new standard.
Enter Steve Staios. A new empire took over the Canadian Tire Centre and positive changes were on the horizon. Travis Green was hired to replace DJ Smith on the bench, but more was on the way. On the night of June 24, 2024, right before game seven of the Stanley Cup Finals…a trade was announced. Linus Ullmark was traded to the Ottawa Senators by the Boston Bruins for Joonas Korpisalo, Mark Kastelic, and a first-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft.
They did it, the Sens finally got an elite goalie in the net for the first time since Craig Anderson left town. Ottawa was finally making winning moves instead of moves that would wow the fans. But once again, there was an asterisk…Ullmark was on an expiring deal. It was a great trade that got rid of a horrible contract in Korpisalo and gave up next to nothing other than giving Boston their first-round pick back. However, the critics said if they could not resign him, did they win the trade? Without an extension, he’s just another one-year superstar for the Sens much like Dominik Hasek. Three months later, something beautiful happened.
Linus Ullmark is an Ottawa Senator and that is a phrase the fans can use for the next five years! He signed that extension fresh off a season where he finished sixth in Vezina voting. The season before that, he was an All-Star, won a Vezina trophy as well as a William M. Jennings Trophy, and led the Bruins along with Jeremy Swayman to 65 wins making them the greatest regular season team in league history. His career stats include 247 games played, 137 wins, eight shutouts, a 2.51 GAA (goals against average), and a .919 save percentage. How can you hear these stats and not get excited?
Yes, his playoff numbers leave something to be desired, having a .887 save percentage and a 3.59 GAA in 10 games. However, I truly believe that it can be overlooked as he comes from a culture of winning in Boston. In preseason, he let in 3 goals on 32 shots against the Montreal Canadiens and called it “sloppy goaltending” despite winning the game. That is the mentality I want my goalie to have, winning is not enough for this man he wants to be the best! He was the missing link that this team needed to be competitive, and most media outlets have the Sens making the playoffs this year. The “best in class” motto was a mission, not a meme.
Linus, you are probably not going to see this. If you do however, I just wanted to say: Thank you so much for extending your stay in this beautiful city of ours. We welcome you and your family with open arms as we encourage you to take them to the science and tech museum (the crazy kitchen goes insane). We know you will do great things for us because Linus Ullmark, you are truly best in class!
