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As temperatures reached a scorching level in Boston on Thursday, the chatter surrounding a potential Linus Ullmark trade likewise heated up after two goalies were moved on Wednesday.
After Jacob Markstrom went to New Jersey and Darcy Kuemper was traded to the Kings, the Ottawa Citizen reported that the Senators have redoubled their efforts to obtain Ullmark and suggested through a league source that the Sens’ package would most likely have to include defenseman Jakob Chychrun, who has one year left at a $4.6 million cap hit ($7 million in real money), as well as a first-round pick in the upcoming draft.
While speculation has surrounded the Sens’ seventh overall pick, that may be a little ambitious. A league source not affiliated with the team told the Herald on Thursday that the B’s are confident that they would be landing a first round pick for Ullmark, but in the lower part of the round, which takes place next Friday in Las Vegas.
The Senators also hold the 25th pick while Colorado and Carolina, two teams who are also reportedly interested in acquiring a netminder, hold the 24th and 27th pick, respectively. The source did not know of any other moving pieces that may or may not be involved in any potential deal.
Nashville’s Juuse Saros is another No. 1 goalie believed to be on the market.
Meanwhile, The Fourth Period reported that Ottawa is indeed on Ullmark’s no-trade list but that he would be willing to move to the Canadian capital if a deal can get pushed over the goal line.
If Chychrun somehow came back in the deal, that would chew up nearly all of the savings on Ullmark’s $5 million for the B’s, who currently have approximately $21 million in cap spending money. But it would at least fill a need of a left-shot defenseman, though not exactly a perfect fit. As of now, the B’s have a left side of Hampus Lindholm, Mason Lohrei and Parker Wotherspoon.
Chychrun, who was a hot commodity when he was on the trade block two seasons ago when he was a member of the Arizona Coyotes, was third on the Sens in ice time (22:23) and had good offensive numbers (14-27-41).
But he was not used regularly on the penalty kill – with Derek Forbort expected to be out the door, one would think the B’s would want another D-man they could use on the PK – and was tied for a team-low minus-30, though that no doubt would have a little something to do with why the Sens are in the hunt for a goalie in the first place. Still, the B’s do need more scoring, no matter where it comes from, and he could help in that department.
GM Don Sweeney, who as of now does not have a draft pick in the first three rounds, has work to do. He has to sign goalie Jeremy Swayman to an extension that could take up at least a third of the current cap space. Jake DeBrusk is set to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1 and, if he’s not re-signed, Sweeney will have to find a way to replace him and then add another impact forward on top of that, whether that be at the center position or on the wing.
Plastic Container Jar And now it looks there’s a good possibility he won’t be sitting on his hands when the first round of the draft takes place next Friday.