Ullmark placed on injured reserve; Senators turn to Ersson with three-game minimum absence
Ottawa's red-hot goaltender Linus Ullmark sustained a lower-body strain stopping a shot from Brady Tkachuk Wednesday night. Coach Travis Green estimates he'll miss 7–14 days.
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The Ottawa Senators placed goaltender Linus Ullmark on injured reserve Thursday, a day after he sustained a lower-body strain stopping a shot from Brady Tkachuk in Wednesday's 5–1 win over Florida.
Ullmark left the game at the 3:25 mark of the third period. Coach Travis Green estimated he'll miss seven to 14 days, meaning he'll sit out a minimum of three games. His earliest possible return is next Thursday against the Los Angeles Kings at Crypto.com Arena, the second game of a 10-day road trip.
Ullmark had been performing at an elite level this season. In eight starts, he was 7–1–0 with a 1.33 goals-against average and a .945 save percentage. This is the second lower-body strain he's suffered this season; the first occurred October 5 against Boston.
With Ullmark sidelined, the Senators recalled Jonas Johansson from their Belleville AHL affiliate to dress as backup to Samuel Ersson, who took over against the Panthers and faced just one shot. Ersson joined the Senators in a three-team deal with Toronto before the June 2026 NHL draft, signing a two-year extension worth $2.2 million US per season. As HOC reported in June, the Senators acquired him from the Leafs for a fifth-round pick in the 2027 draft.
Ersson comes into the role with significant pressure. He had the second-worst save percentage in the league at .870 before signing with Ottawa, and heading into Thursday night's game against San Jose, he ranked 54th in GAA at 4.70 and 54th in save percentage at .851. He was winless in two starts before the Panthers game, though he did help backstop the Senators to victory in Detroit in the third period.
The facts
How long is Linus Ullmark expected to miss?
Coach Travis Green estimated Ullmark will miss seven to 14 days, with a minimum absence of three games.
When did Ullmark's injury occur?
Ullmark sustained a lower-body strain on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, while stopping a shot from Brady Tkachuk in the Senators' 5–1 win over Florida.
Who is replacing Ullmark?
Samuel Ersson took over as the Senators' starting goaltender, with Jonas Johansson recalled from the Belleville AHL affiliate to serve as backup.
What are Ersson's career statistics?
Before joining Ottawa, Ersson had the second-worst save percentage in the league at .870 and ranked 54th in goals-against average at 4.70 and 54th in save percentage at .851.
