Devils' Top Goalie Target Should Be Ullmark

If the New Jersey Devils can make a trade for Linus Ullmark work, he should be their top choice to upgrade goaltending.

---

Follow us on Twitter: @AlexC_NJD, @NJD_OnTheRush

---

It sure seems that Boston Bruins goaltender Linus Ullmark will be available through a trade this summer. And it sure seems like the New Jersey Devils will be one of the few teams interested in him.

The Devils reportedly made a play for Ullmark at the trade deadline, but a deal never materialized, likely due to Ullmark's 16-team no-trade list. That NTC shifts to 15 teams this summer, so we'll see what happens.

Jeremy Swayman is a restricted free agent with arbitration rights and might be looking at an eight-year extension at $8 million annually. It'll be tough for the Bruins to keep both goalies at their prices, so if he's willing to accept a trade to New Jersey, he might be the Devils' best option.

Ullmark a Model of Consistency

Ullmark was a solid goalie in his time with the Buffalo Sabres, posting a .912 save percentage across 117 games. Those were among some of the worst Sabres teams during their 12-year playoff drought, so the fact that he was an above-average goalie during his time in Buffalo is no small feat.

Given that the Sabres were one of the worst teams in the league, Ullmark opted for free agency in 2021 and signed a four-year deal at a cap hit of $5 million with the Bruins.

It was with the Bruins that Ullmark took his game to new heights. He had a solid first season in Boston, posting a .917 SV% in 41 games and 39 starts. His underlying numbers were good, as he saved 5.7 goals above expected, a slightly better number than Swayman, who he’s shared the net with since arriving in Boston.

Ullmark had always been a solid goalie before the 2022-23 season, but he had a historic year, going 40-6-1 and finishing with a .938 SV%. He saved an outstanding 42.4 goals above expected, second in the NHL to Juuse Saros, who stopped 46.7 goals above expected. That, of course, earned Ullmark the Vezina Trophy.

For as great as Ullmark was a season ago, he was always going to regress in 2023-24. But even then, he was still a well above-average netminder this season. He finished with a .915 SV% and saved 14.8 goals above expected. If the Devils got that kind of goaltending this season, they're in the playoffs, and Lindy Ruff would have at least survived the regular season as head coach.

Concerns With Ullmark

The biggest concern with Ullmark is workload. He never started more than 48 games in his three seasons with the Bruins, and he was essentially a high-end 1B in Buffalo, making no more than 34 starts in a season in his six years with the organization.