Linus Ullmark is finally back on the ice, but the Ottawa Senators aren’t rushing to put a date on when their star goalie will return to game action.
The 31-year-old netminder hit the ice Sunday for the first time since getting hurt against the Edmonton Oilers on December 22. He’s been dealing with what the team calls "upper-body tightness" ever since.
Senators GM Steve Staios is pretty optimistic about the situation.
"It’s a good step forward," Staios said about seeing Ullmark back on the ice.
Ullmark’s been solid in his first season with Ottawa. He’s put up a 12-7-2 record with a .915 save percentage and has only allowed about 2.38 goals per game. But here’s what’s really impressive: according to Money Puck, he’s saved 9.2 more goals than expected this season – good enough for 13th best in the NHL.
The big question is whether Ottawa needs a backup plan.
Their current backup, Anton Forsberg, hasn’t exactly been lighting it up. He’s only won 4 of 13 games and has a pretty rough .883 save percentage.
There is some good news though. Young Leevi Merilainen has been a pleasant surprise, winning 3 of his 5 games with a solid .911 save percentage. The 22-year-old rookie has only allowed about 2.42 goals per game.
Down in Belleville, there’s also Mads Søgaard, but the 24-year-old’s having a tough time this season. The former second-round pick just hasn’t been able to make his case for an NHL spot.
Despite all this, Staios isn’t looking to bring in any new goalies. He seems pretty confident in the team’s current options while they wait for Ullmark to get back between the pipes.
