Linus Ullmark's uncertain status has put a spotlight Ottawa Senators goalies

Published Oct 15, 2024  •  4 minute read

Goalie Anton Forsberg sprayed water at his face Saturday during practice. Photo by Ashley Fraser /Postmedia

The status of top goaltender Linus Ullmark is to be determined.

The Ottawa Senators shuffled the deck Tuesday morning by loaning netminder Mads Sogaard and forward Adam Gaudette back to the club’s American Hockey League affiliate in Belleville, which may be nothing more than a paper transaction.

Sogaard was called up on an emergency basis Monday morning after Ullmark was sidelined with an undisclosed “strain.”

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It’s doubtful Sogaard will end up back in Belleville, though. It didn’t sound like Ullmark would be out long, but no one is optimistic he’ll be ready on Thursday when the New Jersey Devils visit the Canadian Tire Centre.

If that’s the case, that’s not good news because if the Senators are going to make the playoffs in the spring, they need to have stable goaltending and that’s why Ullmark was signed to a four-year, $33-million US extension last week that will kick in next season.

While head coach Travis Green originally told reporters Sunday that the club’s top goaltender was taking a maintenance day on Sunday after stopping 22 shots in a 4-1 loss to the Canadiens on Saturday, the club was forced to recall Sogaard from Belleville on Monday morning.

By the time the dust settled in a wild 8-7 overtime victory over the Los Angeles Kings at home, Green confirmed that the 31-year-old Ullmark suffered a strain and had to get it checked out by doctors before his status for a visit by the Devils could be determined.

Given the fact backup Anton Forsberg allowed three goals on nine shots before being pulled in the second period and Sogaard wasn’t much better with the Kings scoring four on 15 shots for the final 25 minutes, those numbers should rightly give people cause for concern.

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The belief is the Senators are acting with caution with Ullmark because they have a short break before the Devils come to town. Still, Green couldn’t make any guarantees that Ullmark will be ready to start against New Jersey until he was examined further by the club’s medical staff.

You wouldn’t expect the Senators to act any differently because there’s lots of time left in the season and they have to do what’s right for Ullmark.

The Senators need him to be 100% healthy to play the bulk of the games to help this club make the playoffs. Ullmark likely will have to start 55-60 games for the Senators, which was the typical range for most of the No. 1 goalies in the National Hockey League last season.

What has to be concerning for Steve Staios, the club’s president of hockey operations and general manager, along with Green, is just how poorly both of the club’s backups performed against the Kings.

Neither Forsberg nor Sogaard made a save when the Senators needed one against the Kings and they were fortunate the team in front of them decided to stick with it to help the club get the two points.

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In the end, the Senators were able to outscore the Kings.

But if the Senators are going to make the playoffs then as Dean Brown, the play-by-play voice of the club on TSN 1200, rightly noted speaking to me on Tuesday, the club will need about “16 wins” from its backup goaltenders, especially when the race for playoff spots will be tight.

The real concern has to be the play of Forsberg. He wasn’t consistent last year and he’s not challenging shooters enough. In 30 games last season, he finished with a 15-12-0 record with a 3.21 goals-against average and a .890 save percentage.

Those aren’t sparkling numbers and, to make matters worse, he posted a .667 save percentage in only 26 minutes of work Monday.

Forsberg is likeable and he works hard, but he has to be more reliable when he gets another opportunity, which could be as early as Thursday.

He’s being paid $2.75 million in the final year of a contract that will take him into unrestricted free agency on July 1. The hope is he’ll be able to stabilize his game and help the Senators have a strong one-two punch in the net with Ullmark carrying the torch.

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Monday is a small sample size, so let’s not get too exercised by 61 lousy minutes and the Senators did get the win.

But Sogaard is the heir apparent to Forsberg and that’s supposed to happen at the start of the 2025-26 campaign.

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The club has $75 million committed to 13 players on the roster next season with Ullmark’s cap hit rising to $8.25 million and Sogaard is on a one-way deal that will pay him $775,000.

In 28 games in the NHL over the past four seasons, the 23-year-old Sogaard has posted an 11-10-3 record with a 3.53 GAA and a .881 save percentage. Those stats aren’t encouraging and he doesn’t look ready for prime time.

If Ullmark isn’t ready Thursday, then it’s up to Forsberg or Sogaard to carry the ball. You need to have goalies that you can trust and you shouldn’t have to score eight goals to win a game.

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