Player Discussion Linus Ullmark

[Hookslide]

Think it would be nice to have an actual right winger playing the right side instead of left wingers like Debrusk, Heinen, van Riemsdyk, Lauko or Frederic.

DeBrusk did look out of place on his off wing.

 

[Hookslide]

Why would you trade Freddy ? Guy makes peanuts for what he brings.

Coyle that's another story

Trade Coyle, ok fine where is his replacement, any ideas or is this another throw shit against the wall proposal and see if it sticks. Some of you should really watch what this guy does for this team, very valuable player in my eyes, yeah, the eyes that actually watches him play.

 

[Ladyfan]

I guess he played his last game with us huh? Weird to think. He was a good dude.

Linus is a really cool dude.

We have really enjoyed his company when he was backup.

I know it makes sense to trade..... but it is a shame.

Great goalie, friend and teammate.

and yes...I know some here think it is foolish to like the players, but I do.

 

[Ladyfan]

Better make absolutely sure you have Sway locked up before you let Linus go.

 

[4ORRBRUIN]

Trade Coyle, ok fine where is his replacement, any ideas or is this another throw shit against the wall proposal and see if it sticks. Some of you should really watch what this guy does for this team, very valuable player in my eyes, yeah, the eyes that actually watches him play.

I think for 5.5m we might get lucky and find a stud like Coyle. Third liners can't be making 5.5m. But let's trade a guy making 2m that's younger and has put up similar numbers with no pp time.

Coyle for 2 more years at the money is gross

As far as your eyes comment, come up with some new material you see what you want to see and that's fine, I see a grossly over paid overrated player that doesn't do anything that well on a consistent basis.

Bottom line is Im not spending 5.5 on a third line player any longer, Problem is we are stuck with him, no-one is taking that contract.

 

[Thirty Seven]

Linus is a really cool dude.

We have really enjoyed his company when he was backup.

I know it makes sense to trade..... but it is a shame.

Great goalie, friend and teammate.

and yes...I know some here think it is foolish to like the players, but I do.

Last year my GF and kids sent me a video from Swayman wishing me a happy birthday and going into detail on some other personal things. I hope he gets signed so I can keep cheering him on as a Bruin. He just seems like a genuine person and he's one hell of a goalie too.

 

[ODAAT]

could Ullmark fetch a #1 pick or a top 6 player? I think so, that`s what I think Sweeney needs to do but I suppose Ullmark holds the cards here with a NTC or NMC whatever he has?

 

[Gee Wally]

could Ullmark fetch a #1 pick or a top 6 player? I think so, that`s what I think Sweeney needs to do but I suppose Ullmark holds the cards here with a NTC or NMC whatever he has?

I dont think so. Traditionally goalies dont bring that much on the average.
Plus it could be a delicate matter where he could name teams not in need of a goalie and those Cap restricted. Reducing potential landing spots.

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

I don’t want to trade Freddy, I was just curious where he would slot in but he’s a winger so it’s moot. I agree on Coyle.


I’m assuming you don’t think Lysell could be that guy based on the trade? I don’t disagree.

Sure, Lysell could be the player the Bruins were hoping for some day. He's a year younger than Foerster but seems about 3 years behind him in development. Foerster is already a solid 2-way player with size and grit.

I dont think so. Traditionally goalies dont bring that much on the average.
Plus it could be a delicate matter where he could name teams not in need of a goalie and those Cap restricted. Reducing potential landing spots.

If Sweeney tells Ullmark he'll be lucky to play 25 games next season, that could change his mind.

 

[Gee Wally]

Sure, Lysell could be the player the Bruins were hoping for some day. He's a year younger than Foerster but seems about 3 years behind him in development. Foerster is already a solid 2-way player with size and grit.



If Sweeney tells Ullmark he'll be lucky to play 25 games next season, that could change his mind.

Possibly. Or Linus could say fine. Ill go ufa route next year. Guess we’ll see.

 

[GlenFeatherstone]

I think the five teams looking at it that could have interest in Ullmark are Edmonton, Colorado, LA, New Jersey, and Detroit. I don’t put Toronto in there because I doubt they’d deal him there. And I don’t think Ullmark waives for Edmonton. And Detroit being I. The division might hinder that.

So Colorado, LA, New Jersey. Maybe a swap for a roster player that could help fill a hole. I think in no way do they get a first for Ullmark. Goalies have lower value.

 

[ranold26]

I think the five teams looking at it that could have interest in Ullmark are Edmonton, Colorado, LA, New Jersey, and Detroit. I don’t put Toronto in there because I doubt they’d deal him there. And I don’t think Ullmark waives for Edmonton. And Detroit being I. The division might hinder that.

So Colorado, LA, New Jersey. Maybe a swap for a roster player that could help fill a hole. I think in no way do they get a first for Ullmark. Goalies have lower value.

LA is on his no trade, from reports.

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

Possibly. Or Linus could say fine. Ill go ufa route next year. Guess we’ll see.

Yep, he could do that.

But it wouldn't help his UFA value to end his contract as a backup.

 

[Bradely]

Linus is a really cool dude.

We have really enjoyed his company when he was backup.

I know it makes sense to trade..... but it is a shame.

Great goalie, friend and teammate.

and yes...I know some here think it is foolish to like the players, but I do.

Yep, environnement is underrated. Swayman is well aware and said it. Sometimes I feel Sway and Linus are like Batman and Robin. Let,s be really sure of where we are going before separating them!

 

[GordonHowe]

Linus Ullmark is fully aware his future with the Bruins could be in doubt

Following Jeremy Swayman's emergence during this latest playoff run, Linus Ullmark could be a possible trade chip for the Bruins.

www.boston.com

KPD, FWIW (not much),

When it comes to the Bruins’ goalie situation, it looks like Linus Ullmark is a goner​

By Kevin Paul Dupont Globe Staff,Updated May 19, 2024, 5:54 p.m.

24

Linus Ullmark started only one playoff game for the Bruins after making 39 starts during the regular season and posting a 22-10-7 record.MATTHEW J. LEE/GLOBE STAFF
Linus Ullmark made a name for himself here the last three years after being filched away from Buffalo to be a workhorse in the Bruins net.
He won 88 games, ranking him the NHL’s eighth best in that category across the last three regular seasons. He won a Vezina Trophy a year ago, after his astounding 40-6-1 mark in 2022-23. He even became a member of the exclusive group of goalies to score a goal with his high-toss, long-range wrister into an empty net one night in Vancouver.
Now it looks like Ullmark is a goner, his value to the Bruins today not so much about how much rubber he can stop, but how much dough the 30-year-old can save the club if it trades him, likely in the days leading up to the June 28-29 NHL Draft in Las Vegas.
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Such is life in the NHL salary cap world, where roster churn is a fait accompli and the CBA’s defined math alone can dictate who stays, who goes, who gets tonight’s start in net.
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Owed another $5 million as the final installment on the four-year/$20 million deal he signed to come aboard as a free agent in July 2021, Ullmark’s money now is expected to be folded into the haul Jeremy Swayman collects in the coming weeks as a restricted free agent.
RELATED: With playoff run over, Jake DeBrusk deals with possibility of leaving Bruins behind in free agency
Swayman, the in-residence, homegrown phenom, is expected to ink a long-term pact that could as much as double the $3.475 million he earned this season, which culminated with him making 11 straight starts in the playoffs.
“It’s hard to not hear it,” Ullmark said late Sunday morning, acknowledging the increasing trade chatter around him as he packed up for the summer — and perhaps for the final time — at the club’s Brighton practice facility. “You can’t isolate yourself, because then you’d live in a shed in the woods and [only] show up to practice here sometimes.”
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Addressing the gaggle of reporters around his stall in the Guest Street dressing room, Ullmark added, “I mean, I have you guys … you’re always going to ask questions, you want to know what’s happening … and [look for] answers you might want. But I’m not going to give any good answers other than that.”
It’s not really a new drill for Ullmark. He openly noted the realities of the business, and the chance he could be dealt, a year ago in Nashville when accepting the Vezina prior to the draft. Talk back then was that general manager Don Sweeney, faced with myriad factors that pushed payroll hard up against the then $83.5 million salary cap, wouldn’t have enough loose change to keep both Ullmark and Swayman on the job.
Swayman ultimately landed his one-year deal via salary arbitration, and the two goalies remained aboard, largely due to Sweeney using paper clips, bobby pins, and S&H Green Stamps to hire on low-budget veterans James van Riemsdyk, Kevin Shatterkirk, Milan Lucic, and Danton Heinen to fill various roster holes.
A year later, most, if not all, of those Dollar Store plug-ins aren’t expected back, largely because fresh faces Matthew Poitras, Mason Lohrei, and Andrew Peeke (a March trade acquisition) all are expected to land full-time work in Black and Gold come October.
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Linus Ullmark (right) and Jeremy Swayman developed a supportive bond as the Bruins' goaltending tandem.JOHN TLUMACKI/GLOBE STAFF
With Ullmark dished to offset Swayman’s big bump in pay, that should leave Sweeney with some $20 million-plus in cash for more free agent shopping as of July 1.
Priority 1: a bona fide No. 1 center; Priority 2: a top four defenseman who can average 20:00, add vital support in back, and allow Charlie McAvoy and Hampus Lindholm to increase their impact; Priority 3: a top six scoring winger who can fill the void expected if/when the unsigned Jake DeBrusk taps the UFA market elsewhere for, say, $6 million a year or more.
Rumors at the March 8 trade deadline had Ullmark going to the Kings for Pierre-Luc Dubois, the ever-underperforming 6-foot-4-inch center. The same rumors had Ullmark using his 16-team no-trade clause to nix the deal. Dubois stayed in LA. Ullmark stayed with the Bruins and ultimately was relegated to backup duty in the postseason.
“He was putting on a heck of a performance,” a gracious, secure Ullmark said of Swayman while reflecting on being the backup. “That was basically the only reason I wasn’t playing any more games, because he was probably the best goaltender in these Stanley Cup playoffs.”
With Ullmark moved out, Swayman would be positioned as the club’s clear-cut No. 1. Swayman’s workload likely would be increased in the regular season and he would partner with Brandon Bussi, who just wrapped up his second solid season with AHL Providence.
“Was it hard? Yeah, it was hard,” Ullmark said of hearing the trade rumors. “Because you’re very comfortable where you are, you don’t want to move when you feel like you’re playing well, you have the team and you have the trust in the teammates. I’m not the only one [the subject] of trade talks, obviously.”
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“And for me, it’s above my pay grade, as well, really. I don’t have the luxury to choose. If I could, I’m probably going to say the same thing as everybody else: I want to stay. But we live in the world of professional sports and you’ve got to deal with that.”
RELATED: Jeremy Swayman was clearly the story of the Bruins’ playoff run: ‘Night in and night out gave us an opportunity to win’
The dealing is in Sweeney’s hands. Technically, Ullmark’s limited no-trade list winnows the field, but that can shift with the speed of a shot deflected low in the slot.
Example: If Ullmark has the Devils on his nix list, his posture could change if Sweeney allowed New Jersey GM Tom Fitzgerald to entice Ullmark to Newark with a four-year contract extension worth, say, $25 million. Ullmark still could nix the trade, albeit with the risk that he’s dealt to another team for the upcoming season and enters the UFA market July 1, 2025.
Would the offers for Ullmark a year from now be better? Maybe. Maybe not. By definition, pay grades are all about the money, and dollars often define the discussion.

ED NOTE: If Sweeney actually attempted to trade Ullmark for a useless piece of sh*t who will never, ever understand hard work, accountability, teamwork, etc., then he clearly hasn't grown as much as I thought.

If true, I continue to question the competence and common sense of the SGITR. (Figure out the acronym, Smartest Guy In The Room.)

 

[Aussie Bruin]

Yep, he could do that.

But it wouldn't help his UFA value to end his contract as a backup.

He's the backup now. His second and final contribution to a two-series playoff run was a 3rd period in relief playing in front of a team that had completely quit on the game, after which he was shunted back to the bench and never sighted again. That's as backup as it gets. I know the regular season was different, but the playoffs are where reputations are made and anyone worth his salt wants to be playing, and Monty and Sweeney couldn't have made it any clearer that in that context he was now firmly seen as the other guy.

I know Sway was amazing which made him hard to shift, but they still had an opportunity and arguable motive to give Ullmark a start at numerous points in the Panthers series, and potentially G6 against the Leafs as well, but never did. If Linus still has any ambition to be a no. 1 goalie, he should be packing his bags already and doing all he can to make a favorable trade happen.

 

[LSCII]

People thinking they're going to get a haul for Ullmark are delusional. Goalies don't typically get great returns, especially when they've lost their starting job. His value to Boston is far higher than it is to another team. The only reason to move him is for cap space, which is why taking on other team's potential cap casualties at the deadline was a questionable move. But too many folks here don't want to hear the truth.

 

[Bruinswillwin77]

People thinking they're going to get a haul for Ullmark are delusional. Goalies don't typically get great returns, especially when they've lost their starting job. His value to Boston is far higher than it is to another team. The only reason to move him is for cap space, which is why taking on other team's potential cap casualties at the deadline was a questionable move. But too many folks here don't want to hear the truth.

Business first!

 

[LSCII]

It’s really easy to second guess things now that they’ve lost the series but I personally felt the right move was to play Ullmark vs Fla early given his career record vs them. I said as much in the playoff series thread as well, so it’s not really a second guess for me. It was what I thought the smart play was. In reality it probably wouldn’t have mattered given Fla exposed their lack of actual top 6 forward talent and glut of bottom pairing dmen pretty easily.

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

He's the backup now. His second and final contribution to a two-series playoff run was a 3rd period in relief playing in front of a team that had completely quit on the game, after which he was shunted back to the bench and never sighted again. That's as backup as it gets. I know the regular season was different, but the playoffs are where reputations are made and anyone worth his salt wants to be playing, and Monty and Sweeney couldn't have made it any clearer that in that context he was now firmly seen as the other guy.

I know Sway was amazing which made him hard to shift, but they still had an opportunity and arguable motive to give Ullmark a start at numerous points in the Panthers series, and potentially G6 against the Leafs as well, but never did. If Linus still has any ambition to be a no. 1 goalie, he should be packing his bags already and doing all he can to make a favorable trade happen.

Exactly.

That was my point.

It will do him no good to stay and then go to free agency if he's going to be a legit backup (25 games). But he may be thinking he will split games in the regular season again, giving him a chance to repeat his 2022-23 Vezina form.

Sweeney needs to make it clear that will not happen. Hence, it would be better for both Ullmark and the Bruins for him to be moved somewhere he can be a #1 goalie and earn another big pay day.

 

[BMC]

It’s really easy to second guess things now that they’ve lost the series but I personally felt the right move was to play Ullmark vs Fla early given his career record vs them. I said as much in the playoff series thread as well, so it’s not really a second guess for me. It was what I thought the smart play was. In reality it probably wouldn’t have mattered given Fla exposed their lack of actual top 6 forward talent and glut of bottom pairing dmen pretty easily.

This. Linus owned the Panthers & I don't know why Monty didn't at least try it.

Oh well. Water over the dam now.

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

People thinking they're going to get a haul for Ullmark are delusional. Goalies don't typically get great returns, especially when they've lost their starting job. His value to Boston is far higher than it is to another team. The only reason to move him is for cap space, which is why taking on other team's potential cap casualties at the deadline was a questionable move. But too many folks here don't want to hear the truth.

I don't think that is true.

There are a number of teams that need goaltending badly. They may not be willing to give up the house for Ullmark, but their need for a goalie of his caliber is stronger than the Bruins need.

 

[Dennis Bonvie]

This. Linus owned the Panthers & I don't know why Monty didn't at least try it.

Oh well. Water over the dam now.

I don't get how playing Ullmark over the Bruins best player in the playoffs would have helped.

 

[LSCII]

I don't think that is true.

There are a number of teams that need goaltending badly. They may not be willing to give up the house for Ullmark, but their need for a goalie of his caliber is stronger than the Bruins need.

Sure, teams need goaltending always. Literally a constant in the league. But in terms of what you're going to get for him, given he's now the backup and the bloom is off the rose, that isn't going to be equal to what his value to the team is. The easy thing is to pick this discussion back up when we know what the return is, but we can go back and forth arguing about theoretical shit now if you want, since it's the offseason.

 

[LSCII]

I don't get how playing Ullmark over the Bruins best player in the playoffs would have helped.

A couple of things on this. You get Sway a break after a long and hard fought series where he basically had to be near perfect in order for the team to win. The rest would have been just as much mental as physical and if Ullmark spit the bit in game one, you come right back with Sway. It was a win win situation. You play a guy that has immense confidence against that team and see if they get in their own heads. If it doesn't work, you still have Swayman waiting in the wings. Instead they won the first but dropped the next 3. Even if they wanted to go with Sway, they should have given him a blow in game 3 after the loss.

I mean do you realize how f***ing ridiculous it is to need your goaltender to put up a .960 sv% just to give you a chance to win? That's mentally fatiguing, They only won one game in the playoffs this year with a SV% below that and that was Sway still posting a .933 SV% in game 2 vs TOR,

So yeah, that's why you do it.