The Ottawa Senators’ troubles in goal continue with starting goaltender Linus Ullmark injured again and his status given as “week-to-week”. The longer Ullmark is out, the more the Bytown faithful will fret that a playoff berth will escape the Senators’ shaky grasp.
Social media is awash with advice for Senators general manager Steve Staios, even though some of it is the stuff of fantasy. The fact is, there isn’t much top goaltending talent available right now. Acquiring an All-Star goalie is all but impossible, and even half-decent backup talent is scarce these days.
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Some armchair GMs have suggested Staios stay the course with backup Anton Forsberg and his 22-year-old understudy Leevi Merilainen. They claim the tandem is good enough to keep the Senators in the hunt for a playoff spot while they await the return of Ullmark. Still, others say that’s too risky, and Staios must do something to avoid letting another season slip away because of problems in goal.
With that thought in mind, here’s a look at five goaltenders Staios should be trying to get his hands on.
John Gibson – Anaheim Ducks
John Gibson’s name has often been bandied about as a solution to Ottawa’s woeful backup goaltending. The 31-year-old, three-time NHL All-Star has played 477 games over his 10-year career. His experience, save percentage (SV%) of .914 and goals-against average (GAA) of 2.79 this season would bring immediate stability to the Senators’ crease. Not only that, but he’s under contract for two more seasons.
It’s rumoured that the rebuilding Anaheim Ducks want to move on from the veteran and may even be willing to retain a portion of his $6.4 million annual salary. For his part, Gibson is said to be interested in moving to a Stanley Cup contender, and there’s much speculation that the Carolina Hurricanes and Edmonton Oilers are possible destinations.
A trade to bring Gibson to Ottawa could be difficult to engineer. First, the Senators have only limited salary cap space to take on his contract, and the Ducks would probably need to retain a sizeable chunk of it to make a deal work. Then there’s the matter of the return. The Senators desperately need their picks and prospects, but Ducks GM Pat Verbeek may push for the Senators’ first-round pick in 2025 along with some young roster talent to complete the deal.
Gibson also has a 10-team no-trade clause, and if the Senators are on it, it’s anyone’s guess whether he’d waive it. After all, he only has a few years left to pursue his dream of Stanley Cup glory, and the Senators aren’t likely to be contenders anytime soon. Not only that, but Gibson would be Ullmark’s backup – a role that might not be of interest to him.
Whether Staios would entertain the steep price the Ducks will demand for Gibson is a question mark. Many would consider it mortgaging the future for a backup who will only be around for a few years.
Karel Vejmelka – Utah Hockey Club
A veteran of three NHL campaigns and 140 games, Karel Vejmelka is a pending unrestricted free agent (UFA) making $2.75 million annually. Over 24 games this season, the 6-foot-4 Czech boasts a SV% of .914 and a GAA of 2.45. While an affordable upgrade over Forsberg as a backup, acquiring him may be easier said than done for Staios because Connor Ingram, the other half of Utah’s goaltending duo, is injured. What’s more, Utah GM Bill Armstrong still has hopes of seeing postseason action, and if fulfilled, he’ll need Vejmelka.
Even so, Ingram is emerging as Utah’s number one, making it easier for Armstrong to consider moving Vejmelka if presented with the right deal. That might include a veteran such as Michael Amadio going back the other way to help bolster Utah’s playoff drive and probably a draft pick and a prospect. From a salary cap perspective, the deal would work given Amadio’s salary of $2.6 million.
James Reimer – Buffalo Sabres
36-year-old James Reimer is a veteran of 15 seasons in the NHL and returned to the Buffalo Sabres in November when they claimed him off waivers from the Ducks. While he’s been unimpressive in nine starts this season, he boasts a career GAA of 2.88 and SV% of .910.
As a pending UFA making $1 million annually, Reimer would be a palatable acquisition that could bring immediate stability to the Senators’ crease. If Ullmark’s injury is short-term, then Reimer is the ideal short-term fix. Even so, the Sabres might not entertain this trade given that Reimer would be moving to an Atlantic Division rival battling for a wild-card playoff spot.
With their playoff hopes fading fast this season, the Sabres may be open to taking a prospect and one of the Senators’ third- or fourth-round 2025 Draft picks in return for Reimer. With $1.6 million in salary cap space, the Senators could easily tuck him into their lineup for the remainder of the season.
Cam Talbot – Detroit Red Wings
It’s back to the future with Cam Talbot – he played 36 games in Bytown in 2022-23 – but that doesn’t mean it’s a far-fetched idea. While very long in the tooth at 38, Talbot is still putting up respectable numbers as the Detroit Red Wings’ number-one netminder, recording a SV% of .903 and a GAA of 3.03 this season. With a contract that extends another full season worth $2.5 million annually, he would be an affordable addition.
There’s no question Talbot would firm up Ottawa’s wobbly backup goaltending situation, but to make it happen, Staios needs a motivated trade partner. Wily Red Wings GM Steve Yzerman would think more than twice about helping the Senators nudge his team out of a wild-card berth by sending them goaltending talent. Still, everything has a price, and Yzerman will surely pick up the phone if Staios calls to ask about Talbot. It could be a lengthy conversation if Staios were offering up a third-round 2025 pick along with a prospect such as Tyler Boucher or Angus Crookshank in return for Talbot.
Alex Lyon – Red Wings
While Staios is on the phone with Yzerman, he may want to kick the proverbial tires on Alex Lyon. The 32-year-old is a pending UFA making $900,000. While he has only played two full seasons in the league with just 88 games to his credit, his SV% this season is a very respectable .908, and GAA is 2.78. That’s an upgrade over the Senators’ current backup.
To give up Lyon, Yzerman might consider taking Ottawa’s fourth-round pick in 2025 or a package of prospects that might include Zack Ostapchuk or Angus Crookshank.
Senators Have Limited Options to Upgrade Goaltending
Several other names have surfaced as options for Staios to improve his goal, including Calgary Flame Dan Vladar and the San Jose Sharks’ Alexandar Georgiev and Vitek Vanecek. The problem is that none offer much of an improvement over what Forsberg offers, with his sub-par SV% of .885 and GAA of 3.04 this season.
With so few options to improve his goaltending, Staios must be hoping that Ullmark returns quickly. Until then, he’ll be praying that Forsberg and Merilainen can steal enough games to keep the Senators in the ever-tightening race for the Eastern Conference’s two wild-card spots.
