Trade Proposal Gets Bruins ‘Fairly Unique’ Center for Linus Ullmark
The Boston Bruins made clear their “phone is going to ring” this offseason when dealing with their goalie rotation.
Virtual backup netminder Linus Ullmark has been in endless trade rumors since the last trade deadline with Jeremy Swayman solidifying his starting status during the 2024 regular season and playoffs.
Carolina Hurricanes forward Martin Necas also seems poised to leave his team via trade before the 2024-25 season.
Pierre LeBrun of the Athletic reported on May 27 that Necas is bound to relocate in the 2024 summer, writing, “My money’s on Necas likely moving this summer.”
Elliotte Friedman echoed similar feelings on May 24 appearing on the Jeff Marek Show, and his co-host Jeff Marek highlighted the Bruins as a potential trade candidate for Necas if they send Ullmark to Carolina.
“One of the obvious ones is Linus Ullmark, who has one more year left on term, and the contingency there is to waive the NTC and to extend,” Marek said on June 5 when asked by Friedman about players that might interest the Hurricanes in a potential Necas trade.
Ullmark won the Vezina Trophy winner in the 2023 season and is entering the final year of his contract. He will earn $5 million through the 2024-25 season before becoming an unrestricted free agent.
Necas will be a restricted free agent on July 1, but it’s not clear if he will reach a deal for an extension with the Hurricanes. That’s even though the franchise will have the right to match any offer submitted for their forward.
Martin Necas ‘Fairly Unique’ Skillset Could Help Bruins
The Hurricanes might be about to lose a “fairly unique” talent in Necas if he leaves at some point before the 2025 season.
That’s how Reyan Henkel of The Hockey News described the forward in his end-of-season “State of the Roster” review of the Canes’ pending restricted free agents on June 3.
“Necas’ skillset is something that is fairly unique in Carolina as no other player plays the way he does,” Henkel wrote. “He’s a zone-entry machine, able to race through the neutral and attacking zone with ease and he’s developed a really explosive shot.”
The Bruins need to improve their top-six forward corps if they want to truly contend for the Stanley Cup while maximizing the last seasons of captain Brad Marchand.
Boston employed Morgan Geekie and Charlie Coyle as the first-line and second-line centers in 2024, per Daily Faceoff. While Coyle produced a solid 60 points (25 goals, 35 assists), Geekie fell short of that role’s expectations with 39 points (17 goals, 22 assists).
