Stunning trade rumour emerges on Bruins goalie Linus Ullmark!

With the goalie market thinning out with just a week to go until the March 8 trade deadline, Bruins insider Fluto Shinzawa of The Athletic wondered if Boston could dare to trade netminder Linus Ullmark.

The article caused a stir and quickly made fans fear that the rumour could turn into reality. When Shinzawa spoke with an NHL hockey operations executive, he was given three reasons why it would make sense to move Ullmark, arguing that it would provide the Bruins the opportunity to upgrade other areas of the roster while also freeing up $5 million in cap space.

He mostly believes Jeremy Swayman is ready to be the team’s full-time starter. The young goalie signed a one-year, $3.475 million contract in arbitration last summer and is scheduled for restricted free agency again in July. He could be given the full starting role and the Bruins could go get an affordable veteran backup option to support him in the future.

While this would be a blockbuster move from the Bruins, there are several obstacles in making it happen, especially finding a suitor for Ullmark, who has a 16-team no-trade clause.

Shinzawa hints at the Ottawa Senators or Los Angeles Kings since he believes the Bruins will have reservations about making a deal with some close rivals looking for a goalie upgrade.

“One of the other problems, though, of trading Ullmark is finding the right trading partner. The Carolina Hurricanes and New Jersey Devils need goaltending upgrades. But the Devils have postseason hopes, and the Hurricanes could make it through the Metropolitan Division with tighter goaltending. The Bruins do not want to help either team.

"That would limit the Bruins’ market.”

The Bruins have been seeking “another stiff defender”, consequently linked to the Calgary Flames’ Noah Hanifin. They could also go for a boost upfront, but tough choices will have to be made seeing how little the Boston’s prospect pool is and how the team does not hold any picks in the first three rounds of this year’s draft.

At this point with just a week to go prior to the deadline, an Ullmark trade cannot be ruled out. However, if this is a trade that will happen, it sounds like it’d be more likely to take place in the offseason, prior to the opening of free agency.

The Bruins will want to have a strong united goalie tandem in net for the postseason, and to me, Ullmark and Swayman provide Boston with just that.

Let’s revisit this bold rumour in the summer, maybe?

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