Linus Ullmark will be Buffalo’s No. 1 goaltender for the 2021 season barring any big moves by Kevyn Adams.
The organization signed him to a deal for one more year:
Welcome back @Icebeardude! ????
We have signed goaltender Linus Ullmark to a one-year contract worth $2.6 million.
Details: https://t.co/B3kh8StFO1 pic.twitter.com/yOr0gAscXQ
— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) October 26, 2020
Similar to the Sam Reinhart signing, this keeps the door open for a ton of options at the end of next season. The Sabres are going to have some big decisions to make, but this one will allow them to go any direction.
At the same time, Ullmark gets a chance to prove that he can be an NHL starter again. He’s been very average, and that may not be enough to keep him in Buffalo beyond 2021.
The short-term deal is fine, and it leaves him and Carter Hutton both as UFAs after this season. The Sabres still may be finding a replacement for Hutton before then, but for now, the goaltending duo is the plan. Goaltending wasn’t really the issue last season, though it’d be a welcome sign if Ullmark could up his game and be a top 10 goalie.