Poll: Should Bruins trade goalie Linus Ullmark this summer?
Tonight in Nashville, Linus Ullmark will be named the Vezina Trophy winner as the best goalie in the National Hockey League. Back in New England, the goalie's name is at the center of trade talks as the cap-strapped Bruins look to trim payroll and retool after the disappointing finish of this past spring.
Ullmark is coming off the greatest season of his NHL career and one of the finest seasons by a goalie in league history. He won the goalie Triple Crown, leading the league in wins (40), GAA (1.89) and save% (.938 - tied for the 4th-best mark ever). Yet today in The Boston Globe, there are quotes from Ullmark admitting that he's thought about the possibility of getting dealt this summer.
That's because the Bruins are up against the salary cap after going all-in with last year's team. The Bruins have less than $5 million in available cap space, several key free agents and a couple other holes to fill. They simply don't have the money at the moment to do everything they need to.
So, one line of thinking is to deal Ullmark, get a healthy return for him as his stock will never be higher, and turn the No. 1 duties over to Jeremy Swayman.
At $5mil for the 2023-24 season, moving Ullmark's salary would basically double the Bruins' operating income this offseason and afford the team the financial flexibility to give Swayman the pay bump he's owed as an RFA, while supplementing the fringes of the roster and retaining whatever talent possible.
The rest is for Don Sweeney to work out. The question for you is - should the B's trade Linus to make it possible?