The Ottawa Senators have made an emergency recall of goaltender Mads Søgaard from the Belleville Senators of the AHL as concerns mount over Linus Ullmark’s status. Ullmark, who missed practice on Sunday, was labeled by head coach Travis Green as having a “maintenance day.” However, this isn’t the first time Ullmark has missed practice due to maintenance issues, having sat out a few days during training camp. Concerns now are that he might be dealing with some kind of injury.
Ullmark was the big acquisition for the Senators over the summer. He was recently locked into a new four-year, $33 million contract extension and is being viewed as a key piece for Ottawa as they try to make the playoffs this season. His potential absence troubling for the team.
The Senators’ start to the season has been mixed, with Ullmark playing a crucial role in their 3-1 victory over the Florida Panthers and suffering a 4-1 loss to the Montreal Canadiens. In the latter game, he showed no visible signs of injury, leaving fans hoping that his absence was merely due to illness rather than a more serious issue.
If Ullmark is unable to play, Anton Forsberg is projected to take the net against the Los Angeles Kings. Forsberg has had a solid track record against the Kings, boasting a 2.09 goals-against average and a .930 save percentage in four career games against them.
The situation leaves the Senators and fans hopeful this isn’t anything major. There is anxiousness for clarity on Ullmark’s condition, hoping he will recover quickly and not miss any real length of time.
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