When will Linus Ullmark return to Senators? Nobody knows

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It was like Santa dropped a lump of coal in the Christmas stockings of fans of the Ottawa Senators even before he was supposed to arrive.

Twenty minutes into the club’s 3-1 loss to the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday at Rogers Place, goaltender Linus Ullmark left the game with a back issue and didn’t return as the backup as the club’s six-game winning streak came to an end.

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Ullmark allowed one goal on seven shots before leaving the game, and only Nick Cousins was able to beat Edmonton goalie Stuart Skinner.

“His back tightened up so felt it was best that he came out,” said Ottawa coach Travis Green following the loss.

There was no update on Monday because the Senators had the day off after returning to Ottawa in the wee hours of the morning after a lengthy overnight flight from Edmonton.

The only good news is that the Senators don’t play again until they face the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday night as this nine-game road trip continues, and maybe with a rest over the National Hockey League’s mandated holiday break, Ullmark will be ready to return.

Anybody who tells you they know how long Ullmark will be out is guessing. If this was precautionary, then he’ll return against Winnipeg, but at this point, nobody knows.

The hope is that the back ailment suffered by the 30-year-old Ullmark isn’t serious, especially since the club is also without veteran backup goaltender Anton Forsberg.

Remember him? He suffered what the club called a “minor ailment” in the gym getting ready to face Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins a week ago at home.

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The lower-body injury suffered by Forsberg didn’t allow him to make the trip West with the Senators, and he now has missed four straight games, so it doesn’t sound like it was nearly as minor as the club hoped.

The last time Ullmark suffered a muscle strain, it started with the club describing it as a “maintenance day” initially. He ended up missing four straight games from Oct. 14 to Oct. 22.

We’ll have to see if Ullmark is on the ice when the Senators resume skating on Friday in preparation for the Jets.

Rookie goalie Leevi Merialinen did a solid job in Ullmark’s absence in the final 40 minutes in Edmonton, but he wasn’t able to make the necessary stops to secure the win.

That’s not a knock on Merilainen, that’s reality and he has shown he can compete at the NHL level. The Senators were able to help him secure his first win in the league on Saturday night in Vancouver with Jake Sanderson scoring the winner in the club’s 5-4 OT decision.

Merilainen was papered back to the club’s American Hockey League affiliate in Belleville Monday along with forwards Cole Reinhardt and Zack Ostapchuk. These moves are made to save money on the salary cap and the expectation is all three will be recalled Friday.

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If Ullmark isn’t ready, then the club will also have to recall goalie Mads Sogaard from Belleville as well. The Senators have veteran netminder Jordan Subban on an AHL contract, and he would have to be signed to an NHL deal to be part of the mix in Ottawa.

The hope is that it doesn’t come to this and Ullmark is ready to go, because he has played a massive role in Ottawa’s return to the playoff race in the East.

Ullmark went into the game against the Oilers with an 8-0-1 record in his previous nine appearances, along with a 1.43 goals-against average and a .960 save percentage.

He has posted seven straight wins and Ullmark’s last loss was on Dec. 1 against the Anaheim Ducks in overtime. He hasn’t lost a regulation start since Nov. 23 against the Canucks.

The injury to Forsberg last weekend forced Ullmark to play three games in four nights. The most games Ullmark has played in one season is 49 games two years ago in Boston.

With 48 games left in the Senators’ regular season and the club in need of every point it can get to make the playoffs for the first time in eight years, the workload is only going to get heavier for Ullmark if he’s healthy.

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He has appeared in 23 games already this season. He’s posted a 12-7-2 record with a 2.38 GAA and a .915 save percentage. That’s 67 percent of the games the Senators have played already.

If that pace continues, Ullmark will play at least 32 more games after Christmas and that would result in the most starts he has made in his career.

Marc Methot, a former Senators defenceman and TSN analyst, noted on the social media platform X on Monday that the Senators will have to manage Ullmark’s workload.

“I just don’t think he’s used to playing that much. Now contrast those numbers with guys like Connor Hellebuyck (Winnipeg) or Sergei Bobrovsky (Florida),” Methot wrote. “Ullmark is a great goalie, but he’ll need to be managed accordingly for recovery or injuries will be frequent.”

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