Team Sweden has decided to leave Linus Ullmark off their Olympic roster. Ullmark was part of Sweden’s 4 Nations team last February, playing in one game. He has struggled this season, and recently took a leave of absence for personal reasons. Let’s dive into the details.
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Linus Ullmark by the Numbers
Here are Ullmark’s stats this season:
- 14 wins, 8 losses, 5 OT losses, 2.95 GAA, .881 SV%, 1 shutout
These numbers pale in comparison to Ullmark’s usual play over the last several years. Last season, he had a .910 SV % for the Senators, making it the sixth straight season with a save percentage of .910 or higher. Over those six years, Ullmark had the highest save percentage of any goalie in the NHL with over 100 starts. This season, among goalies with at least 10 starts, Ullmark ranks 52nd in save percentage.
Sweden’s Goalies
Here is who Sweden is bringing to the Olympics in net:
- Filip Gustavsson, Jacob Markstrom, Jesper Wallstedt
Gustavsson has ties to the Senators, having spent parts of four seasons with the organization. He went 10-13-3 with a .905 SV% at the NHL level with Ottawa. He was traded to the Minnesota Wild in the summer of 2022, for Cam Talbot, who played just one season with the Senators. Gustavsson has gone on to win 86 games for the Wild, and finished sixth in Vezina Trophy voting last season.
Final Thoughts
At the start of the season, Linus Ullmark not making the Swedish Olympic Team would’ve been shocking. With his lesser player, followed by his recent leave of absence, though, this isn’t a surprise at all. Ullmark seems to be going through personal issues that matter more than being selected to an Olympic team.
As for the rest of the Swedish roster, they fell in line with both Canada and the United States in making some curious roster choices. They left of the likes of William Eklund, Marcus Johansson and Mikael Backlund in favour of Pontus Holmberg and Alex Wennberg. Nonetheless, with a loaded defense, and a solid group of forwards and goalies, they will be one of the favourites to win a medal at the upcoming Olympics.
