Devils interested in Bruins goalie ahead of trade deadline
Given the impending trade deadline and the Devils’ inability to acquire Jacob Markstrom from Calgary thus far, New Jersey may now focus on Bruins goalie Linus Ullmark. The Devils are in desperate need of a goalie upgrade since their incapacity to deny goals has made them become one of the biggest disappointments in the league, despite many people expecting them to be an East contender. Prior to suffering an injury on February 10, Vitek Vanacek wasn’t feeling well. They haven’t been able to close a deal on Markstrom, despite long-standing rumors that they are in talks with Calgary. 
“Devils goalie options: preferred route is still to get Markstrom out of Calgary, or does an Ullmark trade with Boston make sense?” tweeted Pierre LeBrun of the Athletic. There is a 16-team Ullmark no-trade list. Whether the Devils are on such list is unknown. The Bruins might be unwilling to compromise their best position even if they aren’t. To close a deal, Boston would require a glaring improvement in another area. Relocating Ullmark would release $5 million in salary cap space, potentially opening the door for Boston to reach a different agreement.
The Devils, who just sacked head coach Lindy Ruff, are eight points out of the second wild card with a record of 30-28-4 (64 points). They could decide to sell right away and deal with their goaltender issues in the off-season. With one year remaining on his Boston contract, Ullmark, the Vezina Trophy winner from the previous season, may be expendable given the rise of Jeremy Swayman, who recorded 32 saves in Monday’s victory.
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