ULLMARK SENT TO THE SENS!
The Ottawa Senators acquired goaltender Linus Ullmark from the Boston Bruins for goaltender Joonas Korpisalo, forward Mark Kastelic and a first-round draft pick in 2024 (No. 25 overall).
What does it give the Ottawa Senators
In Ullmark, the 2023 Vezina Trophy winner, the Senators hope they have finally solidified the goaltending position that has long been a area of weakness. The 30-year-old netminder has put up stellar numbers the past two seasons, forming the best tandem in the league with Jeremy Swayman. Will he be able to replicate those numbers behind a weaker defensive team, and will he re-sign after his contract expires at the end of the 2024-25 season? The Sens are betting on both to end their long playoff drought.
What does it give the Boston Bruins
With Jeremy Swayman due for a raise, the salary cap finally forced the Bruins to break up their Jennings-winning tandem. Korpisalo will fill the role left vacated by Ullmark (while costing $2 million less after the Sens retained 25% of his contract). He should be better behind a strong Bruins team. Kastelic's style of play may fit perfectly on the fourth line in Boston. The first-round pick was originally Boston's; they can use it to either restock the farm system or trade it again for an upgrade at another position.
Fantasy impact
The fantasy impact of this trade focuses on the goaltenders. If he was not already, Swayman is now an elite fantasy option. He should play more games moving forward, and expect him to keep putting up excellent numbers. This trade likely hurts Ullmark's value. He will get more opportunities, but the Sens are a weaker defensive team. His stats may not regress too much, but his Vezina form should not be expected. Korpisalo's career numbers seem to mimic the quality of team in front of him. Now on a better team, in a backup role, he should play 25-35 games and have more success (like he did in his short stint with LA).
