Ullmark Injury Raises Serious Questions in Ottawa

OTTAWA - On almost any other night, Linus Ullmark leaving a game with an injury would have been the biggest story. But with Brady Tkachuk making his highly anticipated return to Ottawa, the Senators' goaltending situation took a back seat.

The timing couldn't be worse for Ullmark, who has been playing his best hockey since joining the Senators.

The Swedish netminder has posted a .945 save percentage and a 1.33 goals-against average while ranking second in the NHL with 8.4 goals saved above expected, according to MoneyPuck. Through eight starts, he has yet to allow more than two goals in a game.

It's the kind of performance reminiscent of his Vezina Trophy-winning season in 2022-23.

Following Wednesday's game, head coach Travis Green described Ullmark's injury as a "lower-body strain." Ullmark was subsequently placed on injured reserve, meaning he'll be unavailable for at least a week.

The encouraging news is that Ullmark was seen walking around Canadian Tire Centre without assistance following the game.

Still, it's the second time this season Ullmark has left a game due to injury, and durability has been a concern throughout his career. He has never played more than 50 games in an NHL season.

Depending on the severity of the injury, the Senators could find themselves in a vulnerable position.

Behind Ullmark, Ottawa's goaltending depth consists of Sam Ersson, Jonas Johansson and Jackson Parsons. None has established a track record of sustained success at the NHL level.

Ersson, who has appeared in four games this season, including two starts, has struggled. His minus-4.1 goals saved above expected ranks fifth-worst in the league, while his save percentage sits at .831.

Ersson knows he needs to be better.

“Sucks. Like not at all (the level) where you want to be,” admitted Ersson when asked about his performance this season.

It's a small sample size, but his early struggles raise questions about general manager Steve Staios' decision to make Ersson the team's permanent backup.

Last season, Staios acknowledged that his handling of the backup goaltending position was his biggest mistake. Ottawa went 28-12-8 with Ullmark in goal and 16-15-4 without him.

That makes the decision to acquire Ersson particularly interesting.

The 27-year-old finished among the NHL's bottom five goaltenders in goals saved above expected in each of the previous two seasons.

Staios also took a gamble during training camp when he placed Leevi Merilainen on waivers, choosing Ersson as Ullmark's backup.

Merilainen was claimed by Vancouver in September and has since posted a .917 save percentage while ranking among the league's top 20 goaltenders in goals saved above expected, according to MoneyPuck.

At the time, Green explained that most NHL teams don't carry three goaltenders, leaving Ottawa with a difficult decision.

With Ullmark's injury history and Ersson's previous struggles, keeping Merilainen would have provided the Senators with another option.

Of course, hindsight is 20-20.

Merilainen was among the NHL's worst goaltenders last season, contributing to Ottawa's struggles before James Reimer took over the backup role in January.

After losing Merilainen, the Senators claimed Jonas Johansson from Tampa Bay.

Johansson posted an 11-10-2 record with an .884 save percentage and minus-10.4 goals saved above expected last season, according to MoneyPuck.

Like Ersson, Johansson has yet to establish himself as a consistently reliable NHL backup.

Despite those numbers, Staios, goaltending coach Justin Peters and coordinator of goaltending Maciej Szwoch saw potential in Ersson.

In an exclusive interview with Coming In Hot's Graeme Nichols earlier this week, Staios explained the thinking behind the move.

“Petey's (Justin Peters) watched this guy. He said, ‘I would be extremely excited to work with this. The talent is there’.”

“Is this a question of, ‘If we put him in our environment with our coaching staff, and give him the support, can he realize his talent?’ It's a low-risk move. It's a low-cost move that lets us do other things on the roster.”

Staios also pointed to Ersson's relationship with Ullmark as a potential benefit.

Given Ullmark's outstanding start, there's an argument that the arrangement has worked for Ottawa's number-one goaltender.

But with Ullmark sidelined and a demanding schedule ahead, Ersson now has an opportunity to prove the Senators made the right decision.

There is reason for optimism.

Ottawa currently ranks sixth in the NHL in expected goals against, according to Natural Stat Trick. If the Senators continue to limit quality scoring opportunities, Ersson and Johansson won't necessarily need to be outstanding for Ottawa to win games.

Staios also noted that despite Ersson's underlying numbers, he has demonstrated an ability to win.

Ersson owns a career record of 65-52-17 despite an .883 save percentage.

“When you boil it all down, it's all about wins and losses,” said Ersson. “That's the only thing that matters. And if you're winning a game 6-5, or if you're winning 1-0.”

For the Senators, that approach is about to be tested.

Ullmark's outstanding start has helped elevate Ottawa from a good team to one showing signs of becoming something more.

Now, with their number-one goaltender sidelined, the Senators need Ersson and Johansson to provide at least league-average goaltending to keep that momentum going.

It's an opportunity for Ersson to reward the organization's confidence in him and for Staios' gamble to pay off.