The Ottawa Senators have made a bold move in signing goaltender Linus Ullmark to a lucrative four-year, $33 million contract extension, TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger reports. This deal includes an average annual value of $8.25 million, matching the salary recently received by Ullmark’s former teammate, Jeremy Swayman, on an eight-year deal with the Boston Bruins.
Ullmark, who currently carries a cap hit of $5 million in the final year of his previous contract with the Bruins, is set to debut with the Senators in their season opener against the Florida Panthers. The timing couldn’t be more perfect for the Senators, who are looking to solidify their goaltending situation ahead of a new season.
Looking ahead to the 2025-26 season, Ullmark and Swayman are poised to become two of the league’s highest-paid goaltenders, trailing only Sergei Bobrovsky, Andrei Vasilevskiy, and Connor Hellebuyck in terms of salary. With Igor Shesterkin and Jake Oettinger also in line for new deals, the goaltending market is certainly heating up.
Ullmark arrived in Ottawa after being traded by the Bruins in June, a move that sent Joonas Korpisalo, Mark Kastelic, and a 2024 first-round pick the other way. The 31-year-old netminder is coming off a solid season with Boston, where he posted a 22-10-8 record along with a .915 save percentage and 2.55 goals-against average.
Senators general manager Staios expressed his confidence in Ullmark’s ability to make a positive impact both on and off the ice. In an interview on TSN Radio 1200, Staios highlighted Ullmark’s leadership qualities and praised his professionalism, noting his experience playing under leaders like Patrice Bergeron in Boston.
“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.”
Ullmark’s journey to Ottawa began in 2015 when he started his career with the Buffalo Sabres. After six seasons with the Sabres, he ventured into free agency in July 2021, ultimately finding a home in Boston where he flourished alongside Swayman.
With Ullmark now firmly entrenched as the Senators’ starting goaltender, the team is looking to him to provide stability and leadership to a young core of players. As he embarks on this new chapter in Ottawa, all eyes will be on Ullmark to see if he can live up to the expectations that come with his new contract extension.
