Senators ink Ullmark to four-year, $33 million extension
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The Ottawa Senators have signed goaltender Linus Ullmark to a four-year, $33 million contract extension.
The deal carries an average annual value of $8.25 million. It's a matching salary to the deal Ullmark's former tandem mate, Jeremy Swayman received on his eight-year deal with the Boston Bruins over the weekend. Ullmark will carry a cap hit of $5 million this year, in the final season of a four-year contract signed with Boston in 2021.
The move comes just ahead of the Senators' opening game of the season on Thursday against the Florida Panthers, when Ullmark is expected to make his debut with the team.
“We are excited to have Linus signed to a contract extension before the start of the regular season,” Senators president of hockey operations and general manager Steve Staios said Wednesday. “In a short window of time, Linus has been able to see the culture we’re trying to grow with our hockey club and his family has experienced the community spirit of Ottawa-Gatineau.”
When the deal kicks in in 2025-26, Ullmark and Swayman are currently slated to be the league's fourth-highest paid goaltenders behind Sergei Bobrovsky ($10 million) Andrei Vasilevskiy ($9M) and Connor Hellebuyck ($8.5M). New York Rangers star netminder Igor Shesterkin is in need of a new deal as a pending unrestricted free agent and Dallas Stars goalie Jake Oettinger is slated for restricted free agency.
"When you get to this part of your career, you really want to put an emphasis on what's best for your family. And we felt that ever since we came here, it's been a great fit," said Ullmark. "I'm hoping this can help change things for the better in this organizaiton for this city."
Ullmark was acquired from the Bruins in June in exchange for Joonas Korpisalo, forward Mark Kastelic and a 2024 first-round pick (Dean Letourneau).
The 31-year-old netminder appeared in 40 games with Boston last season, going 22-10-8 with a .915 save percentage and 2.55 GAA.
In an interview on TSN Radio 1200 on Tuesday morning, Senators general manager Staios said he expects Ullmark to have a significant impact on and off the ice.
“It’s the one position I think that you can look at with the group that can really build confidence,” said Staios. “The way Linus goes about his business, he’s obviously very good at playing goal, but there’s leadership qualities to him. And [he] came from an organization in Boston where they’ve had success and played under leaders like Patrice Bergeron, who he speaks very fondly of. I think that that’s another area when I look at leadership to surround this young core, it’s unique to talk about it in the goaltending position but certainly he brings that as well.
“As far as his personality and his confidence, the way he goes about his business, he’s learned to be a great pro. It’s unique that he’s a goaltender and has those qualities in leadership. He’s vocal, he’s vocal on the ice as well.”
Starting his career with the Buffalo Sabres in 2015, Ullmark spent six seasons with the organization until departing as a free agent in July 2021 and signing the four-year deal with the Bruins where he would form a strong tandem with Swayman.
He had a career season in 2022-23, going 40-6-1 with a .938 save percentage and 1.89 GAA, capturing the Vezina Trophy, William M. Jennings Trophy and was named to the NHL First All-Star Team.