Ullmark stopped 31 of 32 shots in the Senators win over the Panthers on Thursday. He is expected to make a second straight start Saturday in Montreal, who are 1-1-0 in their first two games. The Senators are -155 road favourites.
Days after signing a freshly minted four-year, $33 million contract extension, Ullmark will debut for the Senators in their season opener on Thursday against the Florida Panthers. Before being traded to the Senators, Ullmark enjoyed tremendous success in his three years in Boston, including a Vezina Trophy and William Jennings Trophy in 2023. He went 88-26-10 with a 2.28 GAA and .924 SV% in 130 games with the Bruins. The Senators enter action as +119 home underdogs against a Panthers club that defeated the Boston Bruins 6-4 in their season opener on Tuesday.
In the final year of his contract, Ullmark has signed a massive contract extension with the Ottawa Senators before even playing his first regular season game in their uniform. Ullmark was acquired by the Senators along with a first-round pick in the offseason in a trade that sent Jonas Korpisalo and Mark Kastelic to the Boston Bruins. Ullmark enjoyed tremendous success in his three years in Boston, including a Vezina Trophy and William Jennings Trophy in 2023. He went 88-26-10 with. A 2.28 GAA and .924 SV% in 130 games with the Bruins while splitting time with Jeremy Swayman.
Highmore spent most of the 2024 season in the AHL, where he had 31 points (9G / 22A) in 43 games. During a brief time in the NHL, he had two assists in seven games, giving him 29 points (12G / 17A) in 146 career NHL games with the Blackhawks, Canucks, Blues and Senators. He is expected to be out for a week to two weeks.
Zub has been battling a lower-body during training camp but will suit up on Tuesday, which is a good sign that he'll be available for the Senators' season opener (Oct.10). Zub is coming off of the best season of his career, posting 25 points (5G / 20A), 139 hits and 122 blocked shots while averaging 21:01 TOI/GM in 69 games.
Fresh off his first career Stanley Cup victory, Nick Cousins has signed a one-year, $800,000 contract to go to the Ottawa Senators. The 31-year-old is impressively entering his 11th NHL season with his seventh different team. In 2023-24, he had seven goals, 15 points, 64 PIMs and 111 SOG in 69 games played with Florida.
Yakemchuk was Ottawa's 2024 1st round pick (7th overall) and signed a three-year, entry-level contract on Tuesday. The 18-year-old defenseman has spent the last three seasons with Calgary (WHL) and shot his way up draft boards in 2023-24 after scoring 30 goals and 71 points in 66 games played. He is expected to return to Calgary for the 2024-25 season.
Sogaard spent most of the 2024 season in the AHL, but injuries at the NHL level allowed him to play six games with the Senators. He went 1-3-0 with an ugly 4.05 GAA and .859 SV% in those appearances. He's now 10-10-3 with a 3.44 GAA and .884 SV% in 27 career NHL games with Ottawa. Expect Sogaard to serve as the Senators' No.3 goalie entering 2024-25.
Ottawa made a minor deal on Monday as it exchanged Roby Jarventie and a 2025 4th round pick to Edmonton for Jake Chiasson and Xavier Bourgault. Chiasson was Edmonton's 2021 4th round pick (116th overall) and spent the majority of 2023-24 with the Fort Wayne Komets (ECHL), picking up nine goals and 20 points in 68 games played.
Ottawa added to its prospect pool on Monday after it acquired Xavier Bourgault and Jake Chiasson from Edmonton for Roby Jarventie and a 2025 4th round pick. The 21-year-old Bourgault was Edmonton's 2021 1st round pick (22nd overall) but has failed to succeed as expected after putting up only eight goals and 20 points in 55 games played with Bakersfield (AHL) in 2023-24.
Ottawa drafted Matthew Andonovski in the 5th round of the 2023 NHL Entry Draft (140th overall) and has signed him to a three-year, entry-level contract. The 19-year-old defenseman just completed his third season in Kitchener (OHL) and had seven goals and 32 points in 65 games played.
After serving a 41-game suspension for gambling, Pinto had 27 points (9G / 18A) in 41 games upon making his season debut on January 21st. The 23-year-old will serve as the team's No.2 centre behind Tim Stützle and will look to build on the 19-goal and 22-assist per 82-game pace he's set in his first two full seasons.
Gaudette spent the 2024 season in the Blues organization, where he played two NHL games and 67 AHL games. During his time with Springfield (AHL), he led the AHL with 44 goals and was third in points (71). He'll likely start the year in Belleville (AHL).
Roos spent two years with the Blackhawks organization after coming from Sweden in 2023. The 25-year-old defenseman appeared in just 21 NHL games during that time, scoring one goal with two assists. The Senators blueline is pretty much set in stone, so expect Roos to start the 2024-25 season in Belleville (AHL).
After a successful first season with Belleville (AHL) in Ottawa's minor system, Garrett Pilon earned himself a two-year, two-way contract on Monday with the Senators. The 26-year-old last appeared in the NHL with Washington in 2022-23 and only has three career games to his name. In 62 games with Belleville in 2023-24, he had 18 goals, and 47 points.
Ottawa added to its defensive depth on Monday by adding AHL veteran Jeremy Davies on a one-year, two-way contract. The 27-year-old has 23 NHL games under his belt but last appeared in the big league in 2022-23 with Buffalo for one game. In 2023-24 he had 12 goals and 35 points in 66 games played with Rochester (AHL).
Buffalo added to their defensive depth on Monday after adding veteran Dennis Gilbert to a one-year, $825,000 contract. The 27-year-old reached a career-high in games played (34) in 2023-24 and had a goal, seven points, and 16 PIMs while averaging 12:17 TOI/GP.
Amadio will join his fifth NHL team in eight years after he agreed to sign a three-year deal worth $7.8 million ($2.6M AAV) with Ottawa. The 28-year-old centre completed his second consecutive 27-point (14G/13A) campaign in 2023-24.
Perron will join his seventh NHL team in 18 seasons after he signed a two-year deal worth $8.0 million ($4.0M AAV). with Ottawa on Monday. The 36-year-old has been the definition of consistent over the last few seasons as he has surpassed 46+ points in eight straight seasons. In 2023-24, he had 17 goals, 47 points and 55 PIMs in 76 games played with Detroit.
