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One of the biggest names in the rumor mill leading up to the 2024 NHL trade deadline in March, Boston Bruins star goaltender Linus Ullmark once again appears likely to be back on the trade block this offseason.
In the May 24 edition of “32 Thoughts: The Podcast,” Sportsnet NHL insider Elliotte Friedman speculated that the Bruins had trade discussions with the Carolina Hurricanes about Ullmark at the trade deadline.
“I do believe the Bruins and the Hurricanes talked about an Ullmark deal [at the deadline],” Friedman said. “I don’t know if it involved [Hurricanes winger Martin Necas]. But I do think they talked about something.”
Friedman added that Necas’ future in Carolina now looks murkier than ever, leaving the door open to the possibility that the Bruins and Hurricanes could once again reengage in trade talks involving the pending restricted free agent winger this offseason.
Linus Ullmark Trade Talks Intensify Once Again After Stanley Cup Playoffs
The Bruins were actively shopping Ullmark, the 2023 Vezina Trophy winner, at the trade deadline. NHL insider Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff reported on deadline day (March 8) that the team even had a trade framework in place to send the 30-year-old goaltender to the Los Angeles Kings, but Kevin Weekes of ESPN reported that Ullmark rejected the deal “in large part based on geography.”
Ullmark signed a four-year, $20 million contract with the Bruins in 2021 that includes a 16-team no-trade clause, and his no-trade list drops to 15 teams in 2024-25. Bruins general manager Don Sweeney declined to reveal whether Ullmark invoked the no-trade clause to block a potential deadline deal.
“At the end of the day, I’m not ever going to get into a conversation with what I may have talked to Linus about,” Sweeney told the media at his post-trade deadline press conference on March 8. “I’ve acknowledged we’ve explored different situations, and we had opportunities to move different players.”
With Boston’s 2023-24 season now in the rearview mirror, it’s reasonable to expect that Ullmark will once again be the subject of trade talks. He now has just one season left on his contract with an affordable $5 million cap hit, and Friedman’s thoughts about the trade conversations between the Bruins and Hurricanes at the deadline invite speculation that the teams could reengage in those conversations this summer.
Friedman Links Bruins to Hurricanes’ Martin Necas in Potential Return
Friedman said he didn’t know whether Necas was part of the trade discussions between the Bruins and Hurricanes back in March, but he almost certainly would be now if the teams resumed talks during the offseason. In the May 17 edition of “32 Thoughts: The Podcast,” Friedman said Necas’ ask on a contract extension is likely too far above what the Hurricanes are willing to pay him and that Carolina is unlikely to do “what Necas wants to do.”
Friedman suggested that Seth Jarvis, also a pending restricted free agent, had surpassed Necas on the Hurricanes’ depth chart internally, thereby making Necas less of a long-term financial priority. As a result, the Hurricanes are likely to shop his signing rights this summer.
In 362 games for the Hurricanes, Necas has scored 97 goals and 243 points. He has also also added 11 goals and 30 points in 59 postseason contests. As of May 24 the Bruins have 12 pending free agents on their roster (nine unrestricted, three restricted) and more than $20 million in cap space, giving them the flexibility to entertain a trade for Necas’ signing rights and a multi-year contract if they were to resume trade talks with Carolina this summer.
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