Senators' Ullmark progressing but no timetable for return
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Ottawa Senators goaltender Linus Ullmark is progressing with his back injury but there is still no timetable for his return, according to president of hockey operations and general manager Steve Staios.
Ullmark, 31, has missed the team's last eight games and was considered to be week-to-week with the injury.
The 6-foot-4 netminder is joined by forwards David Perron, Michael Amadio, Noah Gregor, and Cole Reinhardt, as well as defencemen Travis Hamonic and Jacob Bernard-Docker on the sidelines as the Senators try to push through a rash of injuries.
However, Staios believes that Ullmark, Perron, and Amadio will be back in the lineup sooner rather than later,
"Linus has been on the ice the last couple of days, which is a good step forward for him," said Staios during his mid-season media availability.
Ullmark was acquired by the Senators prior to the 2024 NHL Draft in June from the Boston Bruins in exchange for goaltender Joonas Korpisalo, forward Mark Kastelic and a first-round pick in last year's draft (forward Dean Letournau).
The team then signed him to a four-year, $33 million contract extension at the start of the season.
After a slow start that saw him win only four of his first 13 starts, the 2023 Vezina Trophy winner proved why he was so sought after, winning eight of his last nine games while recording a .954 save percentage during that stretch.
In his absence, the Senators have leaned heavily on their goaltending depth in Anton Forsberg, Mads Sogaard, and Leevi Merilainen to carry the load.
Despite struggling to begin 2025, Staios says the the organization is comfortable with the depth in the goaltending department with Ullmark injured.
"You get Ullmark in here and when he's in the net, that's the reason you acquire someone like that," said Staios. "I think you can see around the league the way it's been going: If you don't have a proven veteran guy, you rotate through a tandem. We're comfortable with the depth. It's young depth that's continued to develop and Soogard and Merilainen have continued to push to become regular NHL goaltenders."
Merilainen in particular has come up big for the Senators recently, recording a 29-save shutout over the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday to snap a four-game skid. He followed that up with a 3-2 win over the Dallas Stars on Sunday, who were on a seven-game winning streak before running into Ottawa.
As Ullmark gets closer to his return from injury, attention is now directed toward his availability for Team Sweden at the 4 Nations Face-Off beginning on Feb. 12.
Staios understands the concerns about Ullmark's health surrounding the tournament, but he isn't willing to make a decision on Ullmark's availability at this time.
"We're just excited about getting him back into our lineup," said Staios. "I think that's a bridge we'll cross once we get there but we just want him to get back to full health."