Most nights, Bruins netminder Jeremy Swayman will talk to you about creasemate Linus Ullmark for minutes. Maybe even hours if you let him.
But speaking about Ullmark after Thursday’s victory over the Maple Leafs, and more specifically the possibility that Ullmark is no longer with the Bruins when the 3 p.m. trade deadline comes on Friday, Swayman didn’t want to spend too much time thinking of that potential nightmare.
“I mean, that guy is my brother for life and he’s a huge reason why we’ve had success every year,” Swayman, taking a second to compose his thoughts before answering, offered. “I have no doubt that there’s not gonna be any surprises, hopefully.
“I love that guy to death Whatever happens, happens. It’s a business. I know it just as well, and whatever happens, happens. We’ve dealt with [trade rumors] over the years, but I don’t want to think about that.”
Oct 24, 2023; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman (1) and goaltender Linus Ullmark (35) celebrate their win against the Chicago Blackhawks at United Center. (David Banks/USA TODAY Sports)
But the truth is that their partnership has never seemed more in jeopardy than it does right now.
Don Sweeney’s Bruins are a team with multiple needs and limited resources to address those needs. With no draft picks, no high-end prospects (one they’d want to part with, anyway), and no cap space, there’s been talk of breaking up what’s been both a backbone and a luxury for the B’s in net. And a scarce goaltending market — Nashville isn’t trading Juuse Saros, Minnesota is not trading Marc-Andre Fleury, and a trade to send Jacob Markstrom from Calgary to New Jersey has never seemed to truly get off the ground — has seemingly forced Sweeney to explore the market on the 30-year-old Ullmark.
It’s also a talking point that’s been brought up by the game’s heavy hitters on the trade new front. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman has talked about an Ullmark trade on multiple platforms now, and the possibility of Ullmark becoming a target for the Devils was brought up by Pierre LeBrun earlier this week. In a world where a lot of faux insiders chase engagement and retweets, Friedman and LeBrun don’t. If they’re putting pen to paper with something like this, you know there’s some actual dialogue happening somewhere.
And the noise did not stop Thursday night, with Kevin Weekes adding another layer of intrigue to the topic with his inclusion of the Bruins when discussing teams working on a big move involving their goaltending.
DALLAS, TEXAS – NOVEMBER 06: Linus Ullmark #35 of the Boston Bruins and Jeremy Swayman #1 celebrate after defeating the Dallas Stars at American Airlines Center on November 06, 2023 in Dallas, Texas. (Sam Hodde/Getty Images)
The other problem, of course, could be the chemistry issues an Ullmark trade could create.
It may sound silly, but it truly seems like the Ullmark-Swayman tandem brings the best out of each goaltender. Their aforementioned bond is a real thing, and the Bruins have benefitted greatly from the rather bizarre trend that’s almost always seen one of them surge when the other is down. Boston’s ability to rotate a starter-quality goaltender for every game this season has also helped keep a flawed team afloat for prolonged stretches.
There’s also a legitimate case to be made for the Bruins rolling through the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs with a playoff rotation, especially with neither Ullmark nor Swayman looking like a true workhorse and with neither goaltender winning a round through their two playoff runs together to date. Having Ullmark as a backup option in the event that Swayman struggles or vice versa is hardly a bad backup plan for the B’s.
At the same time, however, it feels obvious that this tandem is coming to an end. Be it by the deadline or this summer when the trade market is expected to be a bit more open with the cap ceiling going up significantly. Swayman is due for a massive raise (and it sounds like he’ll get it here), and the tricky part for him is that it’s going to be impossible for him to get it while Ullmark is here. Not with all of the Bruins’ other long-term needs.
