Rumors started earlier than the March commerce deadline that the Boston Bruins had been taking calls on Vezina-winning goaltender Linus Ullmark.
After months of hypothesis about what would occur within the offseason, the Bruins traded Ullmark to the Ottawa Senators in alternate for ahead Mark Kastelic, netminder Joonas Korpisalo and the twenty fifth total choose on this yr’s draft.
Whereas Bruins followers could also be questioning the return for one-half of the franchise’s stellar goaltending tandem, it truly makes good sense for the Black and Gold.
Ullmark is coming into the ultimate yr of the four-year, $20 million greenback contract he signed with the Bruins on July 28, 2021. With the expiring contract looming and Boston in want of signing restricted free agent Jeremy Swayman to a multi-year deal, shifting Ullmark was one of the best enterprise resolution for the franchise since they most definitely weren’t going to re-sign Ullmark on the improve he would have warranted.
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Getting property for Ullmark earlier than the season begins was the correct transfer for the Bruins as a result of, sadly, his worth may have decreased considerably if he had gotten injured or had a down yr.
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The Bruins received the first-round choose and the serviceable NHL roster participant Mark Kastelic, who may wind up being one of the best piece of the return.
Kastelic is a bodily, heavy participant who may also help solidify the Bruins’ fourth line and presumably type a reincarnation of the famed Merlot Line. He has a historical past of blowing up opponents with huge hits and isn’t afraid of dropping the gloves with the opposite group’s hardest gamers.
Apart from his 6-foot-4, 210-pound body, one stat that stands out is how effectively the 25-year-old carried out on the dot. He gained 109 of 159 faceoffs taken for 54.4% final season with Ottawa and is 56.3% in his profession.
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Korpisalo might not leap off the web page for many, however the 30-year-old netminder has almost 300 video games of NHL expertise with the Columbus Blue Jackets, Los Angeles Kings and Senators. He logged his greatest season with the Blue Jackets in 2019-20 when he posted a .911 save share and a 2.60 goals-against common with an total file of 19-12-5.
He has proven with group in entrance of him he may be strong between the pipes. And if anybody may also help the nine-year veteran discover his type it might be goalie coach Bob Essensa. Plus with Swayman getting the majority of the work, Korpisalo would almost definitely play in 25-30 video games for Boston.
The final time the Bruins had the twenty fifth total choose within the NHL Entry Draft was in 2014 and then-general supervisor Peter Chiarelli used the choose to pick out David Pastrnak. The Bruins have truly had good luck with gamers they’ve chosen within the latter a part of the primary spherical — Trent Frederic (twenty ninth in 2016), John Beecher (thirtieth in 2019) and Fabian Lysell (twenty first in 2021). To not point out defenseman Brandon Carlo was chosen within the second spherical, thirty seventh total within the 2015 draft.
It’s potential common supervisor Don Sweeney can discover one other diamond within the tough on this yr’s draft. If Sweeney does have a plan in thoughts, a part of will probably be revealed on the primary evening of the draft on Friday.
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