The Bruins made a huge move Monday, and the view of it around the NHL is in the eye of the beholder.
Boston traded Linus Ullmark to the Ottawa Senators in exchange for forward Mark Kastelic, goalie Joonas Korpisalo and a first-round pick in this year's draft. The deal ends Ullmark's three-year tenure with the Black and Gold after he signed a four-year deal contract in July 2021.
ESPN's Ryan S. Clark gave Ottawa an "A" grade for the deal and praised general manager Steve Staios for making a bold move after signing Korpisalo to a five-year deal worth $5 million annually. Ullmark will be a free agent at the end of the 2024-25 season, but Clark believes Monday's trade gives the Senators flexibility for the future after a tumultuous season off the ice.
The Bruins received a "B" grade for the Ullmark trade. Clark acknowledged the challenge of trading Ullmark, who had a partial no-move clause, and the limited leverage that move would require.
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"Any potential trade involving Ullmark forced Bruins general manager Don Sweeney to address two details," Clark wrote. "The first would be finding the strongest possible value for the 2023 Vezina Trophy winner. The second would be finding the sort of deal that allowed the Bruins to shed Ullmark's $5 million salary cap hit ahead of next season."
Ottawa will retain $1 million of Korpisalo's salary, and the Bruins will use their cap space to try to re-sign restricted free agent Jeremy Swayman, who ascends to Boston's top netminder after Monday's deal.
Korpisalo could be a fine backup goalie behind Swayman, and Kastelic can be a tough fourth-line forward. Boston on Friday also has a chance to use a first-round pick in the NHL draft for the first time since 2021.
Free agency starts next Monday, so there's plenty of time for Sweeney and his staff to continue making moves and try to elevate the Bruins.
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Featured image via Winslow Townson/USA TODAY Sports Images
