It had been rumored for a while, Don Sweeney was parting ways with his goaltending duo, Jeremy Swayman and Linus Ullmark. Swayman's contract was up, and he needed a new deal, and Ullmark had one year remaining with a $5 million AAV. Locking up $13.25 million between the pipes wasn't the move to do.
Trading Ullmark was not a surprise, but what was a surprise was the landing spot, within the Atlantic Division. Maybe not the best decision. What makes the move even more head-scratching was the return from the Ottawa Senators, a first-round draft pick in 2024, Mark Kastelic, and goalie Joonas Korpisalo.