The Ottawa Senators acquired goaltender Linus Ullmark in an offseason deal with the Boston Bruins, and on Wednesday, they took steps to make sure he stays put.

Ullmark, who could have become a free agent after this season, signed a four-year, $33 million contract with the Ottawa Senators on Wednesday. The deal takes effect in the 2025-26 season.

He will play this season on the final year of a four-year, $20 million pact he signed with Boston in July 2021. The Senators acquired him June 24 for goalie Joonas Korpisalo, forward Mark Kastelic and a first-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft.

“When you get to this part of your career, you really want to put an emphasis on what’s best for your family. And we felt that ever since we came here, it’s been a great fit,” Ullmark, 31, said. “I’m hoping this can help change things for the better in this organization for this city.”

He shared the goalie duties last season in Boston with Jeremy Swayman, whom the Bruins signed to an eight-year, $66 million contract three days ago.

With Boston in 2023-24, he was 22-10-7 in 40 appearances (39 starts), posting a 2.57 goals-against average and .915 save percentage. That followed a season in which he won the Vezina Trophy as the top goalie in the league after a 40-6-1 season with a 1.89 GAA and .938 save percentage.

The Sabres selected the Swede in the sixth round of the 2012 draft, and he has a career mark of 138-73-23 with a 2.51 GAA and .919 save percentage in 247 regular-season games (238 starts) for the Sabres (2015-21) and Bruins.

The Senators open the regular season at home Thursday against the reigning Stanley Cup-champion Florida Panthers.

Ottawa finished last season with a 37-41-4 (78 points) record and hasn’t made the playoffs since 2017.

–Field Level Media