Prior to Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final, the Boston Bruins and Ottawa Senators completed a big trade on Monday that should benefit both teams. The Bruins sent goalie Joonas Korpisalo, forward Mark Kastelic, and a first-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft to the Senators in exchange for the former Vezina Trophy winner Linus Ullmark.
The Bruins needed to make this trade. Even though Ullmark is a highly skilled goalie, Boston already has Jeremy Swayman, a younger goalie with similar talent, so keeping both was becoming costly.
Ullmark provides Ottawa with the No. 1 goalie they sorely needed. In addition, Boston gets a first-round draft pick, a depth forward, and a respectable backup goalie.
Related: All 32 teams’ first-round selections in the 2024 NHL Mock Draft
Boston Bruins: B-Although they had to make this move, it splits up one of the NHL’s top goaltending duos over the last few seasons. In 2022–2023, Boston broke records for the most wins (65) and points (135) in a season when the Bruins won the Presidents’ Trophy with the assistance of Ullmark and Swayman. They split the workload and the Jennings Trophy after giving up the fewest goals in the NHL, 177. However, Ullmark received the Vezina Trophy on an individual basis for his 1.89 goals against average and.938 save percentage over 49 games.
They performed admirably once again last season (47 victories, tied for fifth place with 221 goals allowed), but Boston increasingly looked to Swayman, who becomes a restricted free agent on July 1. With Ullmark being thirty years old, earning $5 million a year, and potentially becoming a free agent at the end of the 2024–25 season, it seemed like the Bruins should have moved on to Swayman as their clear top choice in goalie.
Ullmark will be replaced by Korpisalo, who recently finished a difficult season with the Senators. With a 3.27 goals-against average and a.890 save percentage, he was 21-26-4. Although he hasn’t been consistent in his career, he might be better served as Swayman’s backup and on the Bruins, who are a stronger team. However, he is unquestionably a step down from Ullmark, so Swayman is under pressure.
For the Bruins, Kastelic is a reliable depth player. During the previous season, he played in 63 games for the Senators, recording five goals, five assists, and 63 penalty minutes. He will blend in well with the Bruins’ gritty playing style.
Boston’s acquisition of a first-round pick is what keeps this trade afloat. The Bruins will now have the 25th overall pick in the first round, assuming no other moves are made. Since the Bruins didn’t have a first-round pick before the trade, this is probably the best part of their return.
The Senators have been looking for a No. 1 goalie for years, as they desperately needed one. This trade was a huge win for them because they finally hit one.
This past season, Ullmark finished 22-10-7 with a 2.58 GAA and a.915 save percentage—not as good as his Vezina Trophy season, but still very good. The Senators are a strong young team that seem prepared to compete for the Stanley Cup Playoffs now that they have Ullmark in goal. He won’t face the same experienced team as he did in Boston.
Ottawa hopes to keep developing around its young players, including Tim Stutzle, Shane Pinto, Drake Batherson, and Brady Tkachuk, who recently witnessed his brother Matthew win the Stanley Cup.
The Senators were likely willing to part with the No. 25 pick in exchange for Ullmark because they also own the No. 7 overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft. It’s likely that they will select a top player who can make an immediate impact.
All in all, the Senators met their most pressing need and did so with one of the best players in the League. In order to prevent him from becoming a UFA at the end of the season, they must now sign him to a contract extension.
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