There was a familiar face on the ice with the Ottawa Senators on Friday.
Goaltender Linus Ullmark, who hasn’t skated with the team in 19 days after taking a leave of absence for personal reasons, resumed skating with the Senators at the Bell Sensplex.
He won’t suit up against the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday at the Canadian Tire Centre or the Detroit Red Wings on Sunday on the road and there is no timetable for Ullmark’s return, but this has to be viewed as a positive sign for the club’s top goalie.
“I’m happy he’s back skating with the group,” coach Travis Green said. “He looks good, and it’s just a positive.”
Is there a timeline for his return?
“No,” Green said. “We’re all just in agreement that we’re taking it day-by-day.”
The expectation is Ullmark, who has been skating on his own for the past 10 days, will accompany the Senators on a three-game trip that begins in Detroit before making stops in Columbus on Tuesday and Nashville on Thursday.
Ullmark shared a net with veteran goaltender James Reimer, who is expected to make his debut against the Wings on Sunday. He was signed as an unrestricted free agent after a brief tryout in the AHL with Belleville.
Goaltender Leevi Merilainen, who has carried the ball in Ullmark’s absence, is expected to make his 10th consecutive start and 11th straight appearance against the Habs.
We really don’t know when Ullmark will make his first appearance in the club’s lineup since he was pulled against the Toronto Maple Leafs on Dec. 27, but his teammates are confident he’s making progress.
“It’s great seeing him back on the ice,” alternate captain Thomas Chabot said of Ullmark’s return. “He’s been skating a little bit, but just to be back with the team is a big step in the right direction. We’re happy to have him back.
“Anytime you’re out or injured, or anytime you get back with the team and back to skating that makes you feel even better. It’s a step forward towards to playing another game. Just to see him and have him around again has been great.”
What happens when Ullmark is ready to play?
Once Ullmark does return, Steve Staios — the club’s president of hockey operations and general manager — will have a decision to make on how the organization is going to use its goaltenders.
Merilainen stated on Friday that he hasn’t been told anything about what route the club will take once Ullmark is ready to play, which could be either Thursday in Nashville or in one of the club’s back-to-back games next Saturday and Sunday at the Canadian Tire Centre.
The Senators could keep three goaltenders until they feel Ullmark has found his footing, but Merilainen is waiver-exempt and can be sent back to the club’s American Hockey League affiliate in Belleville without the risk that he’ll be picked up by another National Hockey League team.
Staois brought in Reimer during Ullmark’s absence because Merilainen has had a tough time finding his game this season. He is ranked No. 43 among goalies with a 8-10-0 record, a 3.36 goals-against average and a .868 save percentage. You just can’t win those numbers.
Getting Ullmark back would be a positive for the club, but he will be rusty and has to find his game. He has a 14-8-5 record this season with an .881 save percentage and 2.95 GAA.
BIG WEEKEND
The Senators were seven points out of the final wild-card spot in the East heading into Friday night’s action.
Ottawa has 12 games left before the NHL begins its break for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy. It’s paramount that the Senators pick up three of four points this weekend against the Canadiens and Wings because both are Atlantic Division rivals.
“We know how many games are left before the break, and we’re going to try to claw our way back and get as many points as we can,” veteran winger David Perron said.
Judging by the skate on Friday, Green isn’t going to make any changes, but we’ll have to wait until Saturday to see if that’s indeed the case. Rugged winger Kurtis MacDermid skated as the extra forward and Nikolas Matinpalo was the seventh defencemen.
Related
The Senators acquired MacDermid from the New Jersey Devils for rivalry games like this one against the Habs. These two teams have turned pretty nasty against each other in the past and it might make sense to have some muscle in the lineup.
No matter what happens, the Senators need to extend their winning streak to three games against the Habs.
“It’s tight, and we know what we’ve got to do in here,” Chabot said. “I know what we’re capable of. You don’t want to spend four hours a day looking (at the standings), but I do take a peek every morning when I come into the rink.
“We know what we’re up against, but the last two games we’ve played our style of hockey and I know we’ll keep doing that.”