OTTAWA -- Linus Ullmark is week to week for the Ottawa Senators because of a lingering back injury, coach Travis Green said Sunday.
The Senators’ No. 1 goalie has not played since leaving after the first period of a 3-1 loss to the Edmonton Oilers on Dec. 22. Heading into that game, he was 8-0-1 with a 1.43 goals-against average and .954 save percentage in his previous nine starts.
“He has not been on the ice yet,” Green said following practice Sunday. “There’s concern on everyone [who’s injured], but it is what it is. He’s rehabbing and showing improvements, so that’s a good sign.”
Ullmark, who signed a four-year, $33 million contract that begins next season ($8.25 million average annual value) with Ottawa on Oct. 9 after being acquired from the Boston Bruins on June 26, missed four games in October with a muscle strain. The 31-year-old won the Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s top goalie in 2022-23, when he played a career-high 49 games.
This season, Ullmark is 12-7-2 with a 2.38 GAA, .915 save percentage and three shutouts in 23 games (22 starts).
Ottawa (19-17-2) is 1-3-0 since the holiday break. Without him, goalies Leevi Merilainen, Anton Forsberg and Mads Sogaard have a combined .873 save percentage, but Green acknowledged Sunday his team hasn’t scored enough (seven goals in four games).
“We’re mentally ready to win 2-1,” Green said. “But I think if you watched practice today, there was an emphasis on a lot of puck touches and getting the feel for the puck again. I don’t think we’ve handled the puck very well recently, and for me that’s the first step, but there’s a lot more in the NHL that goes into scoring goals than just making nice plays.”
It is unclear which goalie will start for the Senators when they visit the Detroit Red Wings on Tuesday (7 p.m. ET; FDSNDET, TSN5, RDS). Forsberg, who typically backs up Ullmark, made 21 saves in a 4-0 loss at the St. Louis Blues on Friday; Merilainen has Ottawa's only win during Ullmark’s absence, a 3-1 victory at the Minnesota Wild on Dec. 29. He made 30 saves.
Green also announced defenseman Travis Hamonic would miss 2-4 weeks with a lower-body injury. Forwards David Perron (back) and Michael Amadio (concussion) each practiced Sunday. Defenseman Nick Jensen was absent due to an illness that is making its way through the locker room.
