Linus Ullmark Left Feeling ‘Empty’ Following Bruins Trade

The Boston Bruins finally pulled the trigger Monday, splitting their dynamic goaltending duo and shipping Linus Ullmark to the Ottawa Senators.

It was an emotional outcome to months of speculation, leading to a phone call neither Ullmark nor Jeremy Swayman wanted to have.

“There were a lot of tears,” Ullmark said, describing his initial phone call with Swayman following the trade on an episode of the “What Chaos!” podcast. “… It was a feeling of emptiness and a sense of, ‘OK, this is it. This is the end of what we’ve built throughout the three years.'”

Swayman was the first to receive a call after Ullmark got the news from Bruins general manager Don Sweeney and Senators general manager Steve Staios. It was obviously unsettling for both sides, but something that helped both men come to a realization.

“It’s the end of one thing, but the start of another,” Ullmark said.

Ullmark is looking to turn his new opportunity into something positive. It’s another chance to lead the way on a team with postseason hopes, and though it comes with sadness, it’s something that was necessary for all sides.

“I’m very much looking forward to the new opportunity that I get to have in Ottawa,” Ullmark said. “… If I didn’t get to feel the sadness (of the trade) then I probably wouldn’t have enjoyed my stay in Boston, so now that I actually have these feelings inside of me once I got traded — it just goes to show how much I loved being a Boston Bruin.”