The Boston Bruins traded goaltender Linus Ullmark to the Ottawa Senators in exchange for goaltender Joonas Korpisalo, center Mark Kastelic, and a 2024 first-round pick.
The Senators will also retain 25 percent of Korpisalo’s $4 million annual salary cap hit through 2027-28. The Bruins are receiving the No. 25 pick in this year’s draft.
Boston Bruins goaltender Linus Ullmark (NHL Images).
SPECTOR’S NOTE: It was speculated that Senators general manager Steve Staios had conversations with teams before the trade deadline that could lay the groundwork for offseason moves. It seems one of those lines of discussion paid off.
It was reported that the Senators attempted to acquire Ullmark before the March trade deadline by offering up Korpisalo. The Bruins declined because they couldn’t afford Korpisalo’s full cap hit.
The offseason and the rising salary cap changed the equation. The Senators still had to retain part of Korpisalo’s cap hit. However, it’s now easier for the Bruins to take him knowing the salary cap will rise significantly this summer and in the foreseeable future.
Staios wanted to improve the Senators goaltending. He’s picked up a big upgrade by landing the winner of the 2022-23 Vezina Trophy.
Ullmark won’t have the same caliber of defense in front of him in Ottawa as he did in Boston, If he can adjust (and if Staios can upgrade the blueline this summer) the Senators should be in good shape next season.
It’ll be interesting to see if Ullmark agrees to a contract extension with the Senators. He has a year remaining on his contract with a cap hit of $5 million.
Korpisalo struggled in his first season with the Senators. He’ll get a chance for a fresh start with the Bruins. He better be prepared for a backup role as Jeremy Swayman is now the undisputed starter in Boston.
The Bruins also get back the first-round pick they originally traded to the Detroit Red Wings last year in the Tyler Bertuzzi deal. The Wings subsequently shipped that pick to Ottawa last summer in the Alex DeBrincat trade.
Kastelic spent the past three seasons as a checking-line forward for the Senators. He has a year remaining on his contract with a cap hit of over $821K.