NHL: Ottawa Senators at Carolina Hurricanes - Source: Imagn — Elliotte Friedman heaps praises upon Senators' $33M goalie after shut out against Hurricanes (Imagn)

"Worth every dollar": Elliotte Friedman heaps praises upon Senators' $33M goalie after shut out against Hurricanes

Modified Dec 16, 2024 15:58 GMT

Linus Ullmark was brilliant for the Ottawa Senators on Friday. Facing the red-hot Carolina Hurricanes, the goaltender was instrumental in keeping the Canes off the board and giving the Senators a big win.

It caught the attention of Elliotte Friedman, who signed a $33 million contract, has been worth the money the Sens gave him this offseason after trading for him.

Friedman said:

"You know that on Saturday night, that's, that's when, that's when you know, when you're sitting there and you're the Ottawa Senators, that's a night where you look and you say, 'Boy, this guy was the right guy for us.'"

The NHL insider said that this was a must-win game, and thanks to Ullmark, the team did:

"That's a night where Linus Ullmark is worth not only every dollar that you're paying them, but every dollar that you're still going to pay him, because he shows that when you're really stuck in a really unpredictable moment, he's far from 100% but he's like, I'm getting this out."

Ullmark came over from the Boston Bruins and has been a big part of Ottawa staying afloat this year. Thanks to the shutout of the Canes, they're 15-13-2 and in fifth place in the Atlantic Division.

Senators coach opens up on impact of Linus Ullmark

Linus Ullmark gives the Ottawa Senators someone they can rely on almost every night. It led to praise from Travis Green, the team's head coach.

Linus Ullmark has received some praise (Imagn)

Green said, via The Athletic, that Ullmark's play helps the team as a whole:

“It’s a big part of it. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen the league at a point where goaltending is a big part of winning and losing. There’s a lot of parity in the league.

"From night to night, any team can win. You go (through) teams near the bottom of the standings to the top, there’s parity. Goaltending is a tough position. There’s a lot of pressure on goalies. This season, I feel like, the position is magnified.”

Green believes that Ullmark has a hard job but that he does extremely well and gives Ottawa a good chance to win every single night.