Senators goalie Linus Ullmark is day-to-day with an injury from Monday’s 4-1 win in Boston. He stopped all 10 shots he faced in two periods, then watched the third from the bench after a collision in his crease. Ottawa had not said by Tuesday morning whether he would start in Detroit tonight (7 p.m. ET).
It is the second injury scare in three days for a team that is 2-0-0 under new captain Thomas Chabot. Jake Sanderson, Ottawa’s top defenceman, is already out.
How the Ullmark injury happened
Boston’s JJ Peterka went into him in the crease with 4:24 left in the second period. Thomas Chabot was called for tripping on the play, and Ullmark was slow to get up. Ottawa already led 4-0 on two goals from Tim Stützle and one each from Drake Batherson and Michael Amadio.
Coach Travis Green said afterwards that Ullmark had “kind of tweaked something” and called his removal a precaution, with another evaluation to come. Samuel Ersson played the third and made eight saves on nine shots. Ottawa’s shutout went at 3:30 of the period, when a James Hagens pass deflected in off a sliding Ersson.
The win still went to Ullmark, his second in two starts. He has 37 saves on 39 shots this season, and NHL.com noted he is the first Senators goalie to win the team’s first two games since Craig Anderson in 2016-17.
Who starts in goal for the Senators?
Ottawa carry two goalies, so Ersson is the cover. The 26-year-old Swede came from Toronto on 26 June for a 2027 fifth-round pick, ten days after Philadelphia had traded him to the Leafs. He played 80 games for the Flyers over the last two seasons. Every one of those June deals is on our NHL trade tracker.
If Ullmark cannot dress, the Senators would need a goalie from their AHL club in Belleville to back up. If he misses more time, Ersson could face his old team in Thursday’s home opener against Philadelphia (7 p.m. ET).
Ullmark, 33, won the Vezina and Jennings trophies with Boston in 2023 before the Bruins traded him to Ottawa. He played 93 of the Senators’ 164 games over the last two seasons.
Jake Sanderson injury: out for at least two games
Sanderson lasted 4:29 of the season opener in Toronto. He played six shifts, aggravated a lower-body injury he first picked up in the final preseason game against Montréal on 26 September, and took himself out during the first period.
The Senators sent him back to Ottawa for tests. He missed Monday’s game in Boston, and the NHL’s status report has him out for at least the next two, tonight in Detroit and Thursday’s home opener. The Ottawa Citizen described him as out indefinitely, although Green said the tests showed something less serious than the club had feared.
He is a big loss either way. Sanderson had 14 goals and 54 points in 67 games last season and played close to 25 minutes a night, more than any other Ottawa defenceman. Cameron Crotty took his place in Boston.
Ottawa Senators injuries
| Player | Pos | Status | Latest |
|---|---|---|---|
| Linus Ullmark | G | Day-to-day | Left Monday’s game after two periods, after a collision in the crease |
| Jake Sanderson | D | Out | Lower body; out for at least the next two games |
| Andre Burakovsky | LW | Injured reserve | Has not played this season |
| Blake Montgomery | LW | Injured reserve | Undisclosed |
| Kurtis MacDermid | LW | Injured reserve | Upper body |
| Artem Zub | D | Injured reserve | Knee injury from last spring’s playoffs |
The statuses are ESPN’s injury list. Ridly Greig is eligible to return tonight after serving a two-game suspension. Every club’s list is on our NHL injury report, updated twice a day.
What’s next for Ottawa
| Date | Game | Start |
|---|---|---|
| Tue 6 Oct | at Detroit | 7 p.m. ET |
| Thu 8 Oct | vs Philadelphia | 7 p.m. ET |
| Sat 10 Oct | vs Nashville | 7 p.m. ET |
| Mon 12 Oct | at New Jersey | 7 p.m. ET |
| Tue 13 Oct | vs St. Louis | 7:30 p.m. ET |
Thanksgiving Monday in New Jersey starts a back-to-back, with St. Louis in Ottawa the next night. Our Ottawa Senators page has the full schedule.
For bettors, goalie news moves prices, so the Detroit line can shift once Ottawa names a starter. Our Senators vs Red Wings preview has the matchup. Odds may change. 19+ (18+ in AB/MB/QC). Please play responsibly.
Ullmark injury FAQs
JJ Peterka of the Bruins collided with him in the crease late in the second period on 5 October 2026. Ullmark left after two periods as a precaution and is listed day-to-day.
Not confirmed as of Tuesday morning, 6 October. The Senators had not named a starter for the 7 p.m. ET game in Detroit.
Samuel Ersson. Ottawa acquired him from Toronto on 26 June 2026 for a 2027 fifth-round pick.
At least two more games, against Detroit on 6 October and Philadelphia on 8 October, with a lower-body injury. The club has not given a firm return date.
Thursday, 8 October 2026, against the Philadelphia Flyers at Canadian Tire Centre, 7 p.m. ET.
19+ (18+ in AB/MB/QC) | Please play responsibly | Statistics are the NHL’s | Injury statuses as listed by ESPN at publication | ConnexOntario: 1-866-531-2600 (ON); your province’s helpline is on our gambling awareness page.