RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA - MARCH 14: Jake Guentzel #59 of the Carolina Hurricanes skates during the first period against the Florida Panthers at PNC Arena on March 14, 2024 in Raleigh, North Carolina. (Photo by Josh Lavallee/NHLI via Getty Images)
Pieces In Place For Potential Ullmark Trade Between Bruins And Devils.
Two of the worst-kept secrets entering the NHL offseason have been that the New Jersey Devils desperately need a goaltender and that the Boston Bruins have one to give in Linus Ullmark.
Now, the two sides could be heading toward an Ullmark trade with pieces being put in place by New Jersey general manager Tom Fitzgerald. According to Mike Morreale of NHL.com, Fitzgerald is willing to trade away the No. 10 overall pick in the upcoming NHL Entry Draft in order to put the Devils back into legitimate playoff contention.
“If we feel it helps us now and in the foreseeable future, then, yes, I’m listening,” Fitzgerald told NHL.com at the NHL scouting combine in Buffalo on Monday. “I haven’t gotten anything yet, but the more I talk to teams, I say, ‘Listen, I’m open to moving No. 10, but it’s going to have to be something (significant).”
What could be a more significant return for the Devils than a former Vezina Trophy-winning goalie?
Although he made just two starts during the Bruins’ playoff run, Ullmark finished the 2023-24 regular season as one of the top netminders in the NHL. With a record of 22-10-7, Ullmark’s save percentage of .915 ranked fifth in the league among goalies who played a minimum of 30 games, and his 2.57 goals-against average tied for eighth among those as well.
Meanwhile, New Jersey netminders combined for a save percentage of just barely over .900 last season and with a GAA of 3.02.
Not only does a trade involving Ullmark and the No. 10 overall pick make too much sense for the Devils, but it does so for the Bruins as well. Currently, with only three picks in this year’s draft and none in the first three rounds, it’d wise for Bruins GM Don Sweeney to acquire whatever draft capital he can to restock a shallow Boston prospect pool.
However, even though the hypothetical deal seems to be a perfect match, many other factors put the Bruins at a disadvantage in future negotiations.
First and foremost, there’s the 16-team no-movement clause attached to Ullmark’s contract, giving him the power to veto a trade to half the league. The goalie reportedly did just that ahead of the NHL trade deadline back in March, nixing a deal the Bruins were rumored to have in place with the Los Angeles Kings.
Secondly, Bosotn isn’t the only team with a goalie to sell. Both the Nashville Predators and Calgary Flames are considered to be players on the goalie market this summer and could be viewed as more favorable trade partners than the Bruins by Fitzgerald;
Still, a deal with the Devils for Ullmark makes far too much sense for the Bruins not to pursue. It’s likely that more rumors will materialize in the next few weeks, with the Ullmark trade saga nowhere close to being over.
