One team that has been making a charge for an Eastern Conference playoff spot is the Ottawa Senators. A team that is banged up has been on a heater to get back in the wild-card picture in the East.
Then their trip to Florida happened. On Saturday afternoon, in what was a must-win game, things started well for the Senators, who grabbed a 2-0 lead through 20 minutes against the Tampa Bay Lightning. However, James Reimer, not former Boston Bruins goalie Linus Ullmark, allowed the final four goals of the game in a 4-2 loss.
After the game, the question on everyone's mind was where was Ullmark? He played in last Thursday's shootout loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins at home. You would have thought that he would have played in Tampa Bay. Instead, after the game, head coach Travis Green said that his top netminder needed rest. That was an odd answer.
Tuesday night in South Florida against the two-time Stanley Cup champion Panthers, Ullmark got the start, and he didn't last long. He allowed five first-period goals on 11 shots in a 6-3 loss. He lasted just 14:36 before being yanked after Carter Verhaeghe's second goal of the period. After the game, Senators fans are ready to move on from Ullmark.
Senators fans have had it with Linus Ullmark's Ottawa tenure
This has been a tough season for Ullmark, who took a leave of absence earlier this season. In October of 2024, he inked a four-year, $33 million contract with an AAV of $8.25 million. That contract is beginning to look like a bad one. After leading Ottawa to the playoffs last season, people are blaming him if they miss the postseason this spring.
Linus Ullmark has ruined the senators season.
— TylerDT- (@qauckenbush17) April 1, 2026
How brutal for that team man.
When a season spirals like this, calling for a player to be traded is common. However, in this case, it's easier said than done. Ottawa will not have an easy time trading his contract this summer. Getting a team to bite on it will be very difficult. It's not an easy one to absorb. Senators fans should brace for the fact that he'll likely be back next year. The Senators could still make the playoffs, and if they do, the narrative could still change.