Friedman: Bruins ‘Have At Least Investigated’ Trading Ullmark

In the latest 32 Thoughts Podcast, Sportsnet NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman said that he believes the Boston Bruins have looked into the NHL trade value of goalie Linus Ullmark.

“You look through their roster, and Jake DeBrusk is an unrestricted free agent. Take a look at some of the other guys, and [Matt Grzelcyk] is an (unrestricted) free agent, and there’s a lot of noise around [Linus] Ullmark,” Friedman pointed out.

“Now, one thing to know about Ullmark is he has a half-league no-trade, and during the middle of a season – especially if you’re leaving a really good team, it’s hard to see players agreeing to that, right? I don’t have any insight into what Ullmark might be thinking, but it has been hinted to me by some other teams in the league that, in midseason, it’s going to be tough to get Ullmark to alter his list. So, if that’s real, and I do think the Bruins have at least investigated it, it’s gotta be somewhere he’s already willing to go.”

As reported here on Sunday, the Los Angeles Kings are one team that has been scouting the Bruins a lot lately and are believed to be interested in acquiring the reigning Vezina Trophy winner on the NHL trade market.

“The Kings believe they’re still a contender, and they need a goalie,” an NHL executive source opined to Boston Hockey Now on Saturday night.

Could that goalie be Linus Ullmark?

Despite Ullmark getting lit up by the New York Islanders for five goals on 26 shots Saturday night, the Kings and, apparently, other NHL teams eyeing him won’t stop.

“There’s a market for him,” the source told BHN. “If I look at the teams out west – the Oilers, the Avalanche, and the Kings – I think the Kings want one the most. I think they really like Ullmark.”

Friedman reiterated what he’s been reporting and what’s been continually reported here and that it’s every likely that the Bruins will be moving roster players before the NHL Trade Deadline at 3 p.m. ET on Friday.

“I just think the Bruins are considering some things with roster players, and we’ll see where it goes here,” Friedman said. “I don’t know that I want to put the percentages on here, but they’re looking for centers. I think they do something on their blue line; they’ve got three UFA’s on their blue line, and in a weird goaltending market, they’ve got a chip if they wanted to play that’s a really good chip, but they don’t have full control over the situation, but at the very least, I think they’ve been weighing some things for quite some time.”