Linus Ullmark is happy to be an Ottawa Senator, but the goaltender is holding off on talking about a long-term deal for now.
Acquired by the Senators in a deal with the Boston Bruins on Monday, Ullmark told reporters Wednesday that he hasn’t had any extension talks with his new team.
The 30-year-old Swede has one year left on his current deal.
“Not yet,” Ullmark said. “It’s only been a little bit over 24, 36 hours, so it’s very fresh. My biggest concern right now is finding a place for my family to live in and finding schools for my kids and getting to know the people in Ottawa and also the Senators.
“The whole contract situation and the talks about that, that is something that (Sens GM) Steve (Staios) and my agent will deal with off to the side. I told them as well that once there is something that needs to be discussed, you can always reach me … I try not to look too far ahead. I try to stay in the moment and not worry about what may or what could be in the future and instead, just enjoying the present.”
Ullmark was in good spirits throughout the 25-minute Zoom chat, cracking jokes and telling reporters Ottawa never was on his no-trade list.
While the Bruins have been top contenders in recent years, the Senators haven’t made the playoffs since 2017. But that’s no problem for Ullmark, who is excited for the opportunity to be the main man in the crease.
Ullmark, the Vezina Trophy winner in 2022-23, split time with Jeremy Swayman in Boston. Fellow Swede Anton Forsberg, a close friend of Ullmark’s, is Ottawa’s other goaltender.
The Senators haven’t been able to find consistency in net in recent years.
“For me, it’s always something that I’ve dreamt about, being a clear No. 1 and playing a lot of games,” Ullmark said.
Since entering the league in 2015 with the Buffalo Sabres, Ullmark never has played more than 49 games in a season.
This past year, Ullmark got just one playoff start in two rounds after Swayman was stellar early against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
One thing Ullmark said he won’t bring from Boston is his trademark hug with Swayman after victories.
“I’m not going to bring it to Ottawa. That is the patented goalie hug we had in Boston. That is for me and Sway only. That’s out of respect for what we had and what built through our years together and the respect and admiration I had for him.
“I’m not going to say we’re going to come up with something new or anything like that. There’s always been celebrations after winning games. So we’ll see what happens. Who knows? Maybe it will be a dab or something. I’m not going to try too hard to come up with a new thing or something like that. Just going to have to let it play out naturally.”