If there was one thing that has made the Boston Bruins so special in the past few years, it was the amazing goaltender tandem between Jeremy Swayman and Linus Ullmark. Both talented players boast a career save percentage of .919, and their chemistry on and off the ice has been unmatched by any other goalie duo in the league.
However, this remarkable partnership will be no more. The Boston Bruins announced on Monday evening –just moments before puck drop on Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals– that backup goaltender Linus Ullmark would be traded to the Ottawa Senators. Fans feel a bit uneasy about the return package, claiming it was not enough to fill the gap that the Swedish goaltender will leave in their roster.
What Did Boston Get In Return?
TRADE ALERT: The #Sens have acquired G Linus Ullmark from @NHLBruins in exchange for (Boston’s original) ’24 first-round draft pick (no. 25 overall), C Mark Kastelic and G Joonas Korpisalo. As part of the transaction, the #Sens will retain 25% of Korpisalo’s remaining salary.… pic.twitter.com/0xRMxi8wZS
— Ottawa Senators (@Senators) June 24, 2024
The complete details of the trade are the following: Ottawa gets Linus Ullmark in exchange for goaltender Joonas Korpisalo, forward Mark Kastelic and their 25th overall first-round pick in the 2024 NHL draft. Ottawa will also retain 25% of Korpisalo’s salary.
Despite moving a Vezina Trophy-winning goalie with a $5 million cap hit, the Boston Bruins only cleared up an underwhelming $1.165 million in cap space. In addition to this, Joonas Korpisalo has a contract that runs through the 2027-28 season and a $3 million cap hit. This is not only detrimental to a team that is trying to free up cap space, but Korpisalo’s performance just has not been good.
He ended the 2023-24 season with a 21-26-4 record and a .890 save percentage. The 30-year-old Finnish veteran is going to need to prove that it was not just the team in front of him that led to his bad stats and also has big shoes to fill if he plans to be Swayman’s backup. Nevertheless, navigating his contract is going to be difficult for the Bruins.
Solutions To The Goaltender Dilemma
Thankfully, there are a few solutions to the now-present goaltender issue in Boston. The Boston Bruins recently signed goaltender Brandon Bussi to a one-year, two-way extension at $775,000. Bussi has made quite an impact down in the AHL with the Providence Bruins, boasting a career save percentage of .913 and a record of 48-17-9.
Could he be a better contender for a backup goalie than Korpisalo?
By bringing up Bussi, Korpisalo could be given time to rediscover his old self in the AHL, an action that would result in the Boston Bruins getting $1.15 million in cap relief. Also on the positive side, the Bruins have the best goaltending coach in the league in Bob Essensa. Therefore, we could see leaps and bounds of improvement in both Bussi and Korpisalo and plenty of preparation for the backup position.
Boston Bruins Offensive Core Could See A Boost
While the Bruins’ goaltending has been their biggest strength in recent years, their offense has been one of their biggest weaknesses, especially these past playoffs. With the acquisition of both Mark Kastelic and a first-round pick this draft, their offensive core could finally get the boost that they desperately need.
First, Kastelic is a young, fast, physical player– a prime example of the style of play that Boston fans know and love. While he doesn’t score many goals, he is great in the faceoff circle, winning 54.4% of 349 faceoffs taken in the 2023-24 season. By putting him in the bottom six, he is going to be a prime producer of depth and physicality for this Boston team.
Furthermore, the Bruins have not had a first-round pick for the past six drafts. Receiving a first-round pick this year –despite it being the 25th pick– will still make an impact as Boston continues to build up a youthful core on their team.
Just like any other trade, the Linus Ullmark trade brought about pros and cons for a team losing its Vezina Trophy-winning goaltender, and breaking up one of the most productive goalie duos in recent history. However, the Boston Bruins organization knows what’s best, and we’ll see the aftermath of this trade during the 2024-25 season.
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About the Author
River Caraballo (she/they) is a hockey writer for Total Apex Sports. Despite being based in Connecticut, she is a big fan of the New York Rangers and the Minnesota Wild. They host a weekly podcast and radio show, Round the Rink, where they discuss hockey from the NHL to the PWHL and college hockey. You can follow River on Twitter/X to keep up with her sports content.