If first impressions are any indication, the Ottawa Senators and their fans are in for a treat with new goaltender Linus Ullmark.
About 20 minutes into his introductory Zoom call with Ottawa media Wednesday — 20 minutes of thoughtful, engaging dialogue — Ullmark was told by host Chris Moore of the Senators that the “last call” was upcoming.
“Are we already done, Chris?” Ullmark said. Only to be told that there was another question or two in the queue.
“Line them up,” Ullmark said. “I’ve still got coffee in my mug, so I’m ready!”
On we went for another four or five minutes, the quickest 24-minute Zoom call ever.
The Senators should prosper from this calm and confident presence they just acquired in a No. 1 goaltender via trade with the Boston Bruins.
Ullmark, 30, is looking forward to meeting his new teammates and already knows backup goalie Anton Forsberg from their shared youth hockey experience in Sweden, including sharing a net with the Modo team as Swedish juniors.
The newest goalie saviour will lean on franchise icon (and returning assistant coach) Daniel Alfredsson and others to help settle his young family in Ottawa — wife Moa Wikman and children Harry and Lily.
Already, Ullmark has had conversations with Alfredsson and Forsberg, but also with key Senators players like Brady Tkachuk, Claude Giroux and Drake Batherson — talks that made Ullmark and his wife feel very welcomed.
Interestingly, Ullmark says that the Senators were NEVER on his no-trade list and so he did not have to remove them from consideration when the trade went down Monday night.
The trade didn’t surprise him. He’s been around long enough to know.
“I mean, it’s part of the job,” he said. “There’s always a time in your life or in your career when you’re on the trade market. And this is just purely business. Once you start something (e.g. his run with the Bruins), you always want to finish it.
“But at the same time, new opportunities present themselves. So, I would have liked to have won in Boston, but at the same time now I’m looking forward to having the same opportunity — but in Ottawa and with the fellas here.”
Ullmark vows to import a little of that winning culture from Boston, as represented so well over the years by leaders like Patrice Bergeron and Brad Marchand. The newest Senator says he will bring effort, a good attitude “and a smile on my face” to the rink every day. But he’s quick to add that he’s here to win, as hockey is a “job” and not fun and games.
Ullmark likes what he has seen from the Senators in past games with their Atlantic Division rival, referring to the Sens as a “dangerous, quick team, very good at transitions.”
With Tkachuk leading the way for Ottawa’s young core, Ullmark believes the Senators can play a heavy style as well.
“It’s all about consistency in my mind,” Ullmark said. “And hopefully, going into the season with some new coaching staff and all that, we can get the ball rolling. Once we do that, it’s going to be a very dangerous team going forward.”
No extension talk
Ullmark noted that the trade is still very fresh, and the focus now is on getting his family settled in Ottawa, including school options for his children. There have been no talks to this point about a possible contract extension, and he won’t get involved until his agent tells him there is something to discuss. Ullmark is entering the final year of a contract paying him $5 million.
“I try not to look too far ahead,” Ullmark said. “I try to stay in the moment.”
Bring on the workload
Without question, Ullmark is going to start camp as the Ottawa starter, with Forsberg behind him. This will represent a change for Ullmark, who shared the crease with Jeremy Swayman for much of his time with the Bruins.
“For me, it’s something I’ve dreamt about, being a clear No. 1 and playing a lot of games.”
If he stays healthy, Ullmark should blow past his career high in games played (49), achieved in 2022-23.
Asked about the challenge of starting 55 or 60 games next season with Ottawa, Ullmark’s eyes lit up.
“It’s a lot of fun,” he said. “Exciting times ahead.”
Rather dryly, Ullmark poked a little fun at talk that he hasn’t yet played more than 49 regular season games, and rarely played more than half the games.
“I played one year at more than 50 per cent (of the starts) and I guess it kind of goes to show what happened at that point.”
The reference, of course, was to Ullmark’s Vezina Trophy season of ‘22-23, when he fired up a 40-6-1 record with a .938 save percentage and 1.89 goals-against.
Stunning numbers.
“Jokes aside, it’s harder the less you play, and also easier when you get on a roll and play a couple of games in a row,” Ullmark said. “You have that flow. Things are happening automatically.”
Ullmark says that goalies who sit out three or four games in a row have to “rev up the engine” when they finally get back in.
“I think I speak for every single goaltender in the whole wide world, that it’s a lot more fun playing most of the games than it is playing fewer of the games.”
Post-game hug stays behind in Boston
Ullmark was famous in Boston, and world viral, for his post-game bear hugs with tandem partner Swayman following a Bruins win.
In answer to a question from Sportsnet.ca, Ullmark said that the hugs will stay behind as part of his legacy with the Bruins.
“I haven’t thought about it, but I’m not going to bring it to Ottawa,” Ullmark said. “That patented goalie hug we had in Boston, that’s for me and Sway only and that’s out of respect for what we had and built through our years together, and the respect, love and admiration that I have for him.
“There’s always celebrations after winning games, so we’ll see what happens. Maybe there will be a dab or something. But I’m not going to try too hard to come up with a theme or something like that. I’m just going to let it play out naturally.”
