Senators' Ullmark says he's 100 per cent; Zub dealing with LBI
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Ottawa Senators goaltender Linus Ullmark said Wednesday he's 100 per cent and is hoping to play in Thursday's preseason game against the Buffalo Sabres.
The news was less positive for defenceman Artem Zub, with head coach Travis Green stating he is dealing with a lower-body injury. Zub, 28, is yet to play in the preseason after posting five goals and 25 points in 69 games last season.
Ullmark confirmed that he tweaked something last week, which led to him being off the ice for a few days before skating Wednesday.
The 31-year-old netminder, acquired in a trade with the Boston Bruins on June 24, is entering his first season with the team and is yet to play in the preseason.
He is entering the final season of a four-year, $30 million contract he signed with the Bruins in July of 2021. The Senators have elected to hold off negotiations on an extension until after Ullmark settles in, TSN Hockey Insider Chris Johnston reports.
"His situation is unique, of course, because he has ended up at the Ottawa Senators via trade from Boston back in June. And even though he is entering that last year and the Senators obviously gave up assets to acquire him, they have not yet started talking substantively any extension talks with Ullmark," Johnston said Wednesday on Insider Trading. "Now, that's not because they don't intend to do so. Obviously, Ottawa thinks highly of the player. They would love to keep him, but I think the strategy right now is maybe to let this breathe a little bit, give him time to get comfortable in the city and with his new team, and then broach those contract discussions at somewhere weeks or months down the road."
The 6-foot-4 goaltender went 22-10-7 this season with a .915 save percentage and 2.57 goals-against average. He appeared in two playoff games for the Bruins this season, going 0-1 with a .886 save percentage and 3.90 GAA before his team was eliminated in the second round by the Florida Panthers.
Ullmark won the Vezina Trophy as the league’s top netminder in 2022-23 after registering a 40-6-1 record with a .938 save percentage and 1.89 GAA.
Drafted 163rd overall by the Buffalo Sabres in 2012, Ullmark has a career 138-73-23 record with a .919 save percentage and 2.51 GAA split between the Sabres and Bruins.