The Ottawa Senators are struggling without Linus Ullmark in the net. The goaltender is now out week-to-week with a back injury. The questions surrounding his progress have gone quiet. His return is questionable, which brings more concern to the team.
The 2023 Vezina Trophy Winner has not played since December 22nd against the Edmonton Oilers. He was replaced after the first period due to back stiffness. The Senators lost to the Oilers 3-1.
The severity of his injury is not disclosed. He has not made his way back onto the ice as of now. His absence has not helped the team’s confidence in moving forward. The goaltending depth in Ottawa does not seem hopeful; they have struggled with letting goals end. With three backup goaltenders, their numbers are there, but their performance is lacking.
Head Coach Travis Green seems hopeful that his progress is a good sign to seeing the goaltender back. “There’s concern about everyone injured, but it is what it is. He’s rehabbing and showing improvements, so that’s a good sign.”
The Senators have only one game out of the four that Ullmark has been out. His backup goaltender, Anton Forsberg, had 21 saves in a 4-0 loss against the St. Louis Blues on January 3rd.
Leevi Merilainen, another goaltender for the Senators, had the only win in the four games Ullmark has been absent. He helped secure the 3-1 victory over the Minnesota Wild on December 29th.
Ullmark did not make the five-game road trip with the team following the holiday break. The team will end their road trip with the Detroit Red Wings before returning to home ice.
Little updates on Ullmarks injury bring to question his spot in the Four Nations Face-Off. He has secured a spot on Team Sweden to participate in this tournament in February.
So far this season, Ullmark has a 12-7-2 record with three shutouts in 23 games. Out of the 23 games played, he has started 22 of them. He won his last seven games with a .967 save percentage and .99 goals-against average before being injured.
There’s no denying the importance that Ullmark has on the Senators Franchise. The 31-year-old goaltender has a career record of 150-80-25 in 270 games, where he started 260. He has played for the Buffalo Sabres, Boston Bruins and now in Ottawa.
He has a career goals-against average of 2.50 and a .918 save percentage through the 270 games played.
With Ullmark out and three backup goaltenders struggling on the net, the Senators could be looking for a goalie trade to help their team until Ullmark returns. The potential goaltenders that are out there and available is a slim list. Options include Cayden Primeau from Montreal, John Gibson from Anaheim, and James Reimer from Buffalo.
Another issue with the Senator’s goaltending situation is that they never anticipated Ullmark to be out this long. They are also starting this second half of the season fighting for a playoff spot. If they want to secure a good goaltender, they will spend more money than they plan. Or they will not strike a deal that’s beneficial to their organization.
The Senators will face the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday, January 7th, to finish their road trip. It is not yet known what goaltender will be starting the game. They will then face the Pittsburgh Penguins at home on Thursday, January 9th, before leaving home ice.
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