The Ottawa Senators have been without starting goaltender Linus Ullmark since late December after he took a leave of absence for personal reasons — but the Swede will be back between the pipes on Saturday night against the visiting New Jersey Devils, as first reported by Sportsnet's Alex Adams.
The 32-year-old has been out of action dealing with mental health challenges, and after suiting up as the backup for a couple of games, he's set to start on Saturday for the first time since Dec. 27.
Ullmark detailed his reasons for leaving the team in a candid 26-minute interview with TSN's Claire Hanna.
“The real reason is mental health,” Ullmark told Hanna earlier this month. “And there’s been a lot going on for a long time. I would say dating back to, ever since the trade, and a lot of things have been positive as well throughout the years or these times. But a lot of the things that I had gone through or worried about haven’t really been dealt with in the right way.”
Ullmark has started 28 games for the Sens in 2025-26, putting together a 14-8-5 record along with a .881 save percentage. It's been a struggle on the ice for the veteran, who was pulled in his last start against the Toronto Maple Leafs after allowing four goals on 14 shots in a 7-5 defeat.
The Senators acquired Ullmark from the Boston Bruins in June of 2024, parting with a significant package to retain his services. He was one of the league's best goaltenders in 2022-23, helping the Bruins put together a historic season and finishing a ridiculous 40-6-1 with a .938 SV% over 49 appearances.
The Lugnvik, Sweden native hasn't been able to come anywhere close to that level since; he's now in his 11th National Hockey League season.
The Senators have not fared much better without Ullmark in the fold, relying on a revolving door of goaltenders that includes Leevi Merilainen, James Reimer, Hunter Shepard and Mads Sogaard.
Senators need stable goaltending for desperate postseason push
Ottawa's brass would love to see Ullmark come back strong and start the lion's share of the team's games down the stretch. The Senators have fallen to a tie for last place in the Atlantic Division with the Maple Leafs.
They're now a full 10 points back of the final wild card berth in the Eastern Conference, with multiple surging teams in the division including the Tampa Bay Lightning, Buffalo Sabres, Boston Bruins and Detroit Red Wings.
It's going to take a herculean effort to get this club back into contention, and a healthy and dialed in Ullmark will go a long way in that quest.
The Sens have four more games before the Winter Olympics in Milan, hosting the Devils on Friday before playing three consecutive games on the road — against the Pittsburgh Penguins, Carolina Hurricanes and Philadelphia Flyers, in that order.
They'll look to bank some absolutely critical points before the NHL shuts down for nearly three weeks. After the game in Philly on Feb. 5, Ottawa won't play again until Feb. 26 against the visiting Detroit Red Wings.
Things are looking bleak in Canada's capital, but a resurgent Ullmark could be the first step in the club starting to string some wins together down the stretch.
