Could the bruins trade linus ullmark? Weighing pros and cons of a seismic deadline deal

Bruins "IF THEY WANT TO MAKE CHANGES, IT PROBABLY HAS TO COME OFF THEIR ROSTER." For years now, the tandem of Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman has served as the bedrock of the

Bruins’ success. But with the NHL trade deadline less than two weeks away, could the Bruins actually look at uprooting the best goalie duo in the NHL? During the latest episode of the “32

Thoughts” podcast, NHL insiders Elliotte Friedman and Jeff Marek brought up the possibility of Boston dangling Ullmark on the trade market — with Friedman suggesting that Don Sweeney might

pull the trigger on said deal if it allows Boston to upgrade other areas of the roster.  * TAKEAWAYS: POTENTIAL TRADES WON’T SOLVE BRUINS’ SHUTDOWN ISSUES ALONE * WEIGHING THE PROS AND CONS

OF A NOAH HANIFIN TRADE FOR THE BRUINS “One thing about Boston, I think they’re looking for a center, I think they’re looking for a defenseman,” Friedman said. “They don’t have picks. … I

had a few people point out to me, the Bruins actually have players they can move. Now, there’s a lot of whispers about Ullmark. I’m really careful about this this time of year, because a lot

of it becomes almost circumstantial evidence. … Teams out there do believe the Bruins are trying to upgrade their roster. Advertisement: “And all you have to do is look at what they are

capable of and say it’s not coming out of the draft. Do they really want to deal their top prospects, some of whom have already played in the NHL? I don’t think so. So, if they want to make

changes, it probably has to come off their roster, and that’s why I think people are looking at Ullmark.” Shipping out the reigning Vezina Trophy winner might seem counterintuitive for a

Bruins team that will likely rely on both Ullmark and Swayman if it has any hope of extending its season into May and June. Advertisement: But could an Ullmark trade ultimately benefit a

Bruins team that might be facing a difficult goaltending decision just a few more months down the road? Let’s weigh the pros and cons of such a deal: PRO: SECURING A SIZABLE RETURN Even if

the Bruins wanted to be aggressive this deadline in search of a big piece like Noah Hanifin or several depth upgrades, there’s no ignoring the elephant in the room.  After season after

season spent putting all their chips on the table for “win-now” moves, the Bruins are ill-equipped to be major buyers this year. Boston currently has just $61,558 of available cap space, per

CapFriendly.  The Bruins don’t have a first, second, or third-round pick in the upcoming 2024 NHL Draft, nor do they have a 2025 second or fourth-round selection. A dried-up prospect pool

only has a few coveted assets like Mason Lohrei and Matt Poitras — two youngsters that Boston ideally keeps in place for the foreseeable future.  With few viable options available for

Sweeney in terms of trade capital, an Ullmark trade could open the door for some much-needed flexibility. Shipping out Ullmark’s $5 million cap hit could open the door for Boston to absorb a

contract like Hanifin’s ($4.95 million) — or several other contributors like a middle-six winger and physical blueliner. Advertisement: A veteran goalie like Ullmark may not be coveted by a

team looking at a rebuild like Calgary, but Boston could net a first-round pick and other valuable assets if they move the talented netminder to a team in desperate need of help between the

pipes. Boston could use said first-round pick to either replenish their prospect pipeline, or ship it in a separate deal for a blueliner like Hanifin or Minnesota’s Jacob Middleton. It’d

make for a busy couple of days for Sweeney and his staff, but would allow Boston to both free up cap space and acquire draft capital without having to dip into their own draft cupboard. CON:

SAPPING THE BRUINS’ TOP STRENGTH  “If it ain’t broke…” Yes, the Bruins might need a shake-up following a sluggish stretch of games this month. And sure, Boston might be operating with an

abundance of riches at an area of the lineup that traditionally only needs one proven starter — especially come the postseason. But it’s hard to argue with the results the Bruins have

cultivated since installing a near 50/50 split in reps between Ullmark and Swayman. And after deviating from that script during last season’s crushing postseason exit, it seems like Jim

Montgomery is set on sticking to a goalie rotation this spring.  Advertisement: Of course, it’s one thing to preach the perks of an even split in starts in November — and it’s another thing

to actually see it through in April. But as unconventional as it may be, the Bruins have clearly reaped the benefits of having a No. 1 goalie in place, night in and night out. Even though

Swayman has held the slight edge in terms of stats this season (18-6-8, .920 save percentage), Ullmark has also been impressive in his third season with Boston (16-6-5, .912 save

percentage). Of the 55 NHL goalies who have logged at least 1,000 minutes this season, Ullmark ranks sixth in save percentage on high-danger shots (.844). Swayman is 13th in the same

category at .830.  It would take plenty of conviction from Montgomery, goalie coach Bob Essensa, and the rest of the Bruins to adhere to a goalie rotation in the playoffs. But keeping that

duo in place stands as the best avenue for the Bruins to put together a deep run in the coming months. And after riding Ullmark for six straight postseason starts in 2023, the Bruins should

see if an unorthodox rotation can change the script in 2024. PRO: RIPPING OFF THE BAND-AID  Montgomery and the Bruins might want to see what a Ullmark/Swayman duo can do in the playoffs, but

the case can be made that this beloved goalie duo is operating on borrowed time — especially once the offseason arrives. On “32 Thoughts,” both Friedman and Marek acknowledged the Bruins

might have too much of a good thing at the goaltender position. Advertisement: “I understand the point about the area of strength with Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman. Totally understand

that,” Marek said. “But when you’re looking for pieces you can move, do you not look at that goaltending tandem and say, that’s not an area of strength, that’s a luxury? And when you’re

trying to win a Stanley Cup, sometimes you have to say, ‘This can be used somewhere else. We don’t need the luxury item, because we need help over there.’” “I completely understand,”

Friedman added. “And to be honest, Jeff, I think the Bruins might see it the same way. And they’re not an organization that’s afraid to make those kinds of decisions. They’re not afraid to

make hard decisions. So, I do think you’re onto something there. I really do. It’s just a matter of, do they find something they like?” The Bruins clearly value the impact of having two No.

1 goalies — both in terms of baseline production and the perks that come with keeping both netminders fresh during the grind of an 82-game regular season. Still, the Bruins might have to

confront hard truths this summer when it comes to keeping this tandem together for the long haul. Even with Boston expected to enter the offseason with over $26 million in cap space, the

Bruins will need to account for a raise with Swayman — who is due for a bump in pay after getting awarded $3.475 million in arbitration. Advertisement: Add in Boston’s plans to retain any

other pending free agents — along with potentially signing a top target on the open market like Hanifin or Elias Lindholm — and a scenario where the Bruins are allocating $11-12 million to

keep two No. 1 goalies on the roster may no longer be palatable in 2024-25. Moving Ullmark now might make the 2023-24 Bruins worse in the short term, but it also might be getting ahead of an

inevitable offseason move. CON: LEAVING SWAYMAN ON AN ISLAND Some of the consequences that come with moving Ullmark would be assuaged if Swayman steps up and establishes himself as a

franchise No. 1 goaltender. Still, as promising as Swayman might be, the 25-year-old netminder would suddenly have a whole lot put on his plate if his goalie partner is shipped out before

March 8. Even though Boston would likely call up Brandon Bussi to serve as Swayman’s new backup, the writing would be on the wall that Swayman would earn the majority of reps moving forward.

But Swayman has also been far from a proven performer under said heavy reps. He’s only surpassed 40 games played in one season so far, while his play has dipped some since the All-Star

break (.904 save percentage in his last six games). The Bruins will have to find out sooner or later whether or not Swayman is “the guy.” Still, with a new contract on the horizon and last

year’s Game 7 loss still fresh on his mind, Swayman will have a lot of pressure resting on his shoulders this spring — especially if Ullmark isn’t around as necessary insurance. CON: ULLMARK

HAS LEVERAGE One important final note: Ullmark also isn’t the type of trade asset that the Bruins could willingly deal to a team in need of reinforcements in net like … Edmonton.

Advertisement: With Ullmark sporting a 16-team no-trade list, he has plenty of say in where exactly he’d go if the Bruins do field offers for him — be it this week or during the offseason.

That’s not to say that a trade is completely off the table, but it does make such a swap harder to pull off if Ullmark isn’t looking to play in a market he doesn’t like. CONOR RYAN Sports

Writer Conor Ryan is a staff writer covering the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox for Boston.com, a role he has held since 2023. NEWSLETTER SIGNUP Stay up to date on all the latest

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