Linus Ullmark trade: Grading early returns from Bruins-Senators deal

It’s still too early to declare a definitive winner in the Linus Ullmark trade made between the Boston Bruins and Ottawa Senators back in June. After all, we haven’t even hit Thanksgiving yet.

But with Ullmark slated to start Saturday night in his return to Boston, now is a good time to look at the early returns from this trade.

And so far, they are trending in the Bruins’ favor.

Ullmark was of course the centerpiece of the deal. The move helped the Bruins create some salary cap space and paved the way for Jeremy Swayman to become the undisputed No. 1 goalie in Boston. The Senators needed an upgrade in net after lackluster goaltending destroyed their chances of making the playoffs last season.

Ottawa has already committed to Ullmark long term, signing him to a four-year, $33 million contract extension shortly before the regular season commenced. This deal makes him one of the top 10 highest-paid goalies in the league.

The Senators haven’t yet received a great return for their investment. Ullmark has been unable to meaningfully improve the team through the first month of the campaign.

The former Vezina Trophy winner is 2-4-0 with a .892 save percentage and a 3.02 GAA. His minus-3.5 goals saved above expected ranks 62^nd out of 71 qualifying goalies, per MoneyPuck. Ullmark’s most recent start was Tuesday versus the Buffalo Sabres, and he allowed five goals on 34 shots in a 5-1 loss.

It’s still very early in the season. Ullmark’s stats should improve – and potentially by a lot – but his early impact for Ottawa has been negative overall. And the Senators are hoping an improvement comes quickly because they entered Saturday with a 6-7-0 record, putting them in seventh place out of eight teams in the Atlantic Division.

The Bruins acquired veteran goalie Joonas Korpisalo as part of the Ullmark trade. His inclusion in the deal was universally criticized by fans and the media – including yours truly – due to his struggles in Ottawa and the length and salary of his contract.

But the Finnish netminder deserves a lot of credit. He’s been pretty solid thus far, posting a 3-2-0 record with a .900 save percentage and a 2.72 GAA in five starts. In fact, Korpisalo has turned away 84 of the last 90 shots he has faced, which is a .933 save percentage. The Bruins just need Korpisalo to be a reliable backup behind Swayman, and he has accomplished that objective so far.

The best part of the trade for the Bruins, at least to this point, has been Mark Kastelic. The veteran forward has settled into his role as the fourth-line center and has actually been one of Boston’s most productive players.

Kastelic has scored three goals with four assists in 15 games. He’s one of only six Bruins players with more than two goals scored, and his seven points rank fifth on the team.

Kastelic also is winning 55 percent of his faceoffs, which ranks second on the team. The Bruins ranked 21^st in faceoff win percentage last season, and Kastelic’s dominance on draws has helped them move up to 11^th so far this season.

The third and final piece of the Ullmark trade for the Bruins was the 25^th overall pick in the first round of the 2024 NHL Draft. The B’s used that selected to take center Dean Letourneau, who’s currently in his freshman season for Boston College.

Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

He has two assists in six games for BC. He’s had a bunch of reps as the third-line center on a loaded Eagles roster that ranks No. 2 in the nation with a 5-1-0 record entering Saturday.

Letourneau has tremendous size at 6-foot-7 and plays a typical power forward-type game. He’s a talented offensive player, wins faceoffs and plays physical in all three zones. He’s drawn comparisons to Sabres star Tage Thompson. He’s super young, but the potential he has shown should make Bruins fans excited.

It'll probably take a while to fully grade the Ullmark trade, especially since Letourneau isn’t expected to compete for an NHL roster spot for a while. He's only 18 years old.

But the trade has been good so far for the Bruins. Korpisalo has played well and Kastelic is making a strong impact in the bottom six. And if Ullmark continues to struggle, the Senators could miss the playoffs for the eighth straight season.