The biggest risk of trading for Linus Ullmark for the Ottawa Senators

Arguably, the biggest reason the Ottawa Senators have been in a seven-year playoff drought is their lack of goaltending. To finally resolve their goaltending issues, the Senators made a trade to acquire 2023 Vezina Trophy winner Linus Ullmark from the Boston Bruins.

Ullmark's arrival in Ottawa has sparked new hope and a new era. With young superstar talent on the Senators, there is optimism among Senators fans that the team can end the playoff drought.

However, making big-time trades can come with big risks, and the Senators' trading for Ullmark does come with a huge risk. While some fans may want Ullmark to be a Senator for life, it could potentially not happen and be that easy.

Linus Ullmark's unrestricted expiring contract is Senators' biggest risk of the trade

Trading away a starting goaltender already in Joonas Korpisalo and a 2024 first-round draft pick to Atlantic Division rival Boston Bruins could be risky for the Senators. According to PuckPedia, Ullmark is set to make $5 million for the 2024-25 season. After the season, Ullmark will be an unrestricted free agent. Being an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season becomes the biggest risk because Ottawa has a bigger chance of losing him in ways.

Ullmark already faces immediate pressure as Ottawa's new starting goaltender and in determining how good Ottawa can be in 2024-25. The big pressure comes from his success in Boston for the past three seasons.

Some Senators fans right now want Ullmark to be a Senator for life and also want to see the Senators give Ullmark an extension soon. However, it would be better right now for the Senators not to give Ullmark an extension. If Ullmark doesn't live up to the hype that he played in Boston, then he becomes trade bait at the trade deadline with an expiring contract. Teams will be interested in trading for Ullmark as a rental to add to their playoff push.

The one thing Ottawa doesn't want with Ullmark is trading for him, and he turns out to be a one-year rental. That is where the trade can bite Ottawa back because that is where the thought can arrive of whether Ottawa should have given Koorpisalo more time to start in Ottawa and not given up a first-round pick in 2024.

Even though the Senators traded the 25th overall pick in the draft to the Bruins via the Detroit Red Wings, it still makes the Senators wonder whether they should've used the pick to draft a first-round talent or traded it for another goaltender in the NHL. Also, trading away a first-round pick to a division rival wouldn't be ideal for some NHL teams.

At 31 years old, Ullmark could also want to play for a Stanley Cup contending team after 2025 if the Senators don't make the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Ullmark will know the value of his success in 2021 and could demand big money from free agency. Some teams could give him more money than the Senators, which puts the Senators in a tough position to keep him.

Even if Ullmark's performance for the Senators starts strong, it could deteriorate at any point in the season. We'll see what happens over time.