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After a difficult 2025-26, the Ottawa Senators are hoping for a bounce-back season from goaltender Linus Ullmark.
And while Ullmark wasn't the sole reason why the Senators failed to take a step forward in 2025-26, there's no question that goaltending as a whole didn't deliver the results Ottawa GM Steve Staios and Sens management were looking for.
Indeed, if you look at the three goalies the Senators used most last season, you'll see statistics that are troubling, to say the least. Vancouver CanucksSenators Bid Farewell To Third-String Goalie Leevi MeriläinenVancouver snatched Meriläinen off waivers Friday, leaving a gap in the Sens' goaltending depth that newcomer Vadim Zherenko may have to fill. So it's easy to understand why Staios looked outside of the organization to provide better support for Ullmark this season.
However, the netminder the Senators now turn to as Ullmark's understudy hardly inspires confidence that he can provide Ottawa with enough above-average performances to keep the Sens in the playoff picture. The 26-year-old's numbers in Philadelphia trended downward for three straight seasons, from an SP of .899 in 2020-21 to 2022-23, to .870 last season.
Ersson's stats are in part due to playing on a rebuilding Flyers team, but you haven't seen a bidding war for the Swede for good reason – the results just aren't there.brought to the table, the bigger issue – and the area that could wind up sinking their Stanley Cup playoff hopes – is Ullmark's backup. Who Should Be The Ottawa Senators' Next Captain?
After former captain Brady Tkachuk demanded and received a trade out of Ottawa this summer, who are the best candidates to wear the 'C' for the Senators next? Ullmark has never played fewer than 40 games in a season since 2020-21, but he also hasn't played more than 49 games in that span.
That means Staios and Senators coach Travis Green will almost certainly have to lean on Ersson for at least 35 games this year – and perhaps more, if Ullmark runs into injury problems. The demand for NHL-calibre goalies greatly exceeds the supply. There aren't enough quality netminders out there, and the ones who are out there will command a greater trade price tag that most teams have the trade capital to pay for.
NHL Pre-season Predictions: Atlantic Division StandingsThis week, The Hockey News' Adam Proteau has been revealing his pre-season predictions for each NHL division – and in this file, we're wrapping up the series by predicting how the Atlantic Division will play out. None of those goaltenders are without faults, but if you're an Ottawa fan, don't you have at least some cause for concern regarding Ottawa's goaltending?
Now more than ever, the Senators need Ullmark to carry this Ottawa team to a playoff position. Should he falter or be bitten by the injury bug, having Ersson as the only capable contingency plan could prove to be a disaster, and the deciding factor that keeps Ottawa out of the post-season. For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free..
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Linus Ullmark Steve Staios Boston Bruins Samuel Ersson Goaltending
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