Elliotte Friedman shares why Bruins traded Linus Ullmark ahead of free agency

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Graham Montgomery
September 14, 2024 (8:52 PM)

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Well respected and trusted NHL insider Elliotte Friedman revealed today the exact thought process the Bruins used to come to the conclusion that they had to trade Linus Ullmark before July 1st this summer.

The insider talked about the Ullmark trade on the most recent episode of the 32 thoughts podcast. This discussion is particularly relevant as the Bruins goaltending situation heading into next season remains unclear due to the fact that Jeremy Swayman remains unsigned. It is clear that the Bruins intended for Swayman to be the starter, but the longer this drama continues, the more worried fans will get.

In fact, one fan pointed out that the Bruins may have made the wrong choice. By trading Ullmark, they gave Jeremy Swayman much more negotiating power in his contract extension. After all, the team's options are now essentially to pay Swayman what he wants, or go into next season with a tandem of Jonas Korpisalo and Brandon Bussi. It should be pretty safe to assume that the Bruins won't want to go into the season with Korpisalo as the number one.

As such, the Bruins are in a predicament of their own making. After last season, most fans were likely penciling them in already to be contenders for the Atlantic division, or at least a top three finish, but now their entire season is in jeopardy. If they do not get Swayman signed soon, things could get ugly quickly. Brandon Bussi has exactly zero games of NHL experience while Joonas Korpisalo is coming off the worst statistical year of his career. Granted he played for the dismal Senator last year, but it is noteworthy that he was arguably the biggest problem for that team. He should be fine in a backup role, but if he is pressed into service as a starter, Bruins fans could be in for a rough start to the season.

Swayman meanwhile, showed that he can be one of the very best goalies in the NHL over the past two seasons. Last year he had a 2.53 GAA and a .916 save percentage although his 25-10-8 record was a bit disappointing. If anything though, that says more about the goal support he got than his individual performances. So, will the bruins regret trading Ullmark? Right now, it certainly looks like a real possibility.

Source: BladeofSteel
Insider reveals why the Bruins decided to trade Linus Ullmark before July 1st