Linus Ullmark

Linus Ullmark was born on July 31, 1993, in Lugnvik, Sweden, and was selected by the Buffalo Sabres in the sixth round, 12th pick, of the 2012 NHL Draft. The 6'4", 223-pound left-catching goaltender wore number 35 and, over a career spanning 340 NHL games, compiled 191 wins, 99 losses, 34 overtime losses, a 2.57 goals-against average, a .914 save percentage, and 15 shutouts before arriving in Ottawa, where he currently tends goal for the Senators.

Ullmark won the Vezina Trophy with the Boston Bruins following a season in which he posted a .938 save percentage and a 30-4-1 record, becoming the second-fastest goalie in NHL history to reach 30 wins. He also became the eighth goalie in NHL history to score a goal by shooting the puck into the net during that same season. InGoal Magazine has covered Linus Ullmark in eight Pro Reads.

The Pro Reads series began in February 2023 when InGoal sat down with Ullmark for a half-hour video session in Vancouver Linus Ullmark Pro Reads. In that first breakdown, Ullmark walked through how he reads a partial breakaway, explaining that his preparation begins well before a play crosses the blue line. "First of all, I determine who it is and stick position, is he a righty or lefty, what is the speed he comes in and finally what it the reload (backcheck)," he said Linus Ullmark Pro Reads. "A good reload means he has less time to make a move and most of the time they're going to shoot because they feel stress." On save selection for that particular chance, Ullmark described baiting the shooter toward the short side to allow him to play the far side with more coverage Linus Ullmark Pro Reads.

A second breakaway breakdown followed the week after, this time examining a one-on-one chance against Brayden Point of the Tampa Bay Lightning Linus Ullmark Pro Reads Breakaway Tips. Ullmark outlined several keys for managing breakaways, including reading the deke based on where the attacker carries the puck, matching speed so he arrives at the top of the crease as the shooter hits the hash marks, and why his preference is to avoid the paddle-down save because of the recovery it demands. "It's all about staying patient and have a good read," he said Linus Ullmark Pro Reads Breakaway Tips.

A central theme in the series has been Ullmark's use of "recoil" — a philosophy of purposeful backward movement, even during in-zone play — which he and Bruins goaltending coach Bob Essensa explained to InGoal separately. In a Pro Reads entry devoted to illustrating the concept in game situations, Ullmark described retreating slightly while a shooter above the face-off circle loaded up: "This is where I start using a little bit of recoil to go backwards… so I'm still on my feet in case he wants to shoot it short-side" Linus Ullmark Pro Reads. After a broken play sent him into what he called "battle mode," he described his thinking for recovering back to his feet: "If you lay down it opens up the whole top side of the net" Linus Ullmark Pro Reads.

Subsequent entries expanded into different play types. Facing an in-zone sequence involving Adam Fox and a tip threat, Ullmark described his prioritization process: "There has to be awareness of my threats and my threat right now is the guy in the middle" Linus Ullmark Pro Reads. He explained how tracking the forward's stick position allowed him to transition toward the tip location without overcommitting — avoiding a push that would create short-side openings Linus Ullmark Pro Reads. Against a solo rush with Robert Thomas driving wide, Ullmark described establishing short-side strength before reading the rotation off the inside leg once Thomas extended his stick out front Linus Ullmark Pro Reads.

In a power play breakdown against the Carolina Hurricanes, Ullmark described how the interchangeable nature of certain power plays shapes his approach. "Some teams, especially Carolina, they are very good at moving and they have a lot of moving parts that are interchangeable," he said. "With good teams come a lot of different reads… so for this one it's more about staying patient and not trying to overplay any situations" Linus Ullmark Pro Reads. He also discussed reading shooter cues — noting "lifted shoulders" as a signal for a high shot while cautioning that increased deception among shooters has made it risky to commit to those reads too early Linus Ullmark Pro Reads.

In a breakdown of a power play cycle against Columbus, Ullmark explained the sequencing of his positioning as a high pass arrived on the stick of Zack Werenski with Patrik Laine in a one-timer position on the back side. "When he opens up to that pass, I am already going. I am not waiting around for it to develop," he said. "I gain my angle and then I gain my depth" Linus Ullmark Pro Reads. He reinforced the angle-first principle — a concept he noted was driven home by current Vancouver Canucks coach Ian Clark during their time together at Modo in Sweden — explaining that without angle, depth alone leaves an open net Linus Ullmark Pro Reads.

Facing a 2-on-0 against the Toronto Maple Leafs in his seventh Pro Reads appearance, Ullmark described reading the rush as a likely multi-player chance before it developed and noted that the pass not crossing the middle of the ice made the sequence more manageable. "If the puck crosses the middle it's going to be way harder because I have to hone that shot was more," he said Linus Ullmark Pro Reads. His description of the final save was straightforward: "It's not going to be technically sound. It's not going be perfect. It's not going to be a pure blocking save. It's just trying to get something in the way to make the save" Linus Ullmark Pro Reads.

In the 2025-26 season with Ottawa, Ullmark has appeared in 49 games, going 28-12-8 with a 2.73 goals-against average, a .891 save percentage, and 3 shutouts over 2,883:28 of ice time.