All the pressure is on Swayman to shine for the Bruins after Ullmark trade originally appeared in NBC Sports Boston
There is no more debate: the Boston Bruins net belongs to Jeremy Swayman.
O Bruins changed their goaltending partner and 2022-23 Vezina Trophy winner Linus Ullmark to the Ottawa Senators on Monday for goalie Joonas Korpisalo, center Mark Kastelic and a 2024 first-round draft pick (25th overall).
This trade paves the way for Swayman to be the undisputed number 1 goalie in Boston long term. And while that’s great for Swayman, it brings with it additional responsibility and pressure.
One of the reasons the Bruins were in contention for the Presidents’ Trophy until the final week of the 2023-24 regular season was their goaltending.
The Bruins didn’t defend very well last season. They ranked 18th in shots allowed, 17th in scoring chances allowed and 21st in high-danger chances allowed at 5-on-5 last season, by natural statistics trick. The B’s survived in large part because Swayman and Ullmark posted a combined .929 5-on-5 save percentage, which was third-best in the NHL. The goalkeeper rescued the Bruins in several games.
It was a luxury for the Bruins to be able to field a Vezina-caliber goalie every night, and it was something almost no other team had. This luxury disappeared as a result of the Ullmark trade.
Korpisalo is coming off a terrible season in which he posted a 21-26-4 record with an .890 save percentage and a 3.27 goals-against average for the Senators. He ranked 97th out of 98 goalkeepers in goals saved above expected, by MoneyPuck. Unlike Ullmark, you probably won’t get 35 to 40 consistently above-average (much less elite) games from Korpisalo. If there’s anyone who can turn Korpisalo back into a capable player, it’s Bruins goaltending coach Bob Essensa, but betting on a quick rebound from the Finnish netminder would probably be unwise.
Providence Bruins goaltender Brandon Bussi is another potential backup. He has plenty of talent and projects to be a solid NHL player, but lacks experience above the AHL level. It would be foolish to expect him to play 35-40 games as a substitute next season.
All of this means Swayman will likely need to take on a workload next season that he has never experienced. There were 14 goalies who started more than 50 games last season, and 11 of them led their team to the playoffs.
Swayman played in a career-high 44 games last season and started consecutive games just three times. It was only the second time he played in more than 40 regular season games in a single NHL campaign. Will he be able to maintain his top-10 goaltending form while playing 50-55 games next season? There are many reasons to believe he can, but it’s not a slam dunk.
Swayman did well with a heavy workload in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs. He started 12 of the Bruins’ 13 games and went on to hit a career-high 11 consecutive starts. The results were fantastic, including a playoff-leading .931 save percentage and a playoff-best 13.3 goals saved. He looked reinvigorated in the playoffs after playing just 44 games. Will that be the case if Swayman is forced to play 50-55 games next season?
The playoffs also last two or three months. Maintaining that high level of performance over a seven-month regular season is a different challenge. That being said, Swayman has consistently been one of the league’s best goaltenders in each of his three full seasons as an NHL player.
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It’s also unknown how potent the Bruins’ offense will be next season. The B’s ranked 13th in goals scored during the regular season — they were second the year before — and then saw their goal production drop by nearly a goal per game in the playoffs. The Bruins have scored two goals or fewer in nine of 13 postseason games. If the Bruins don’t keep Jake DeBrusk and failed to bring in a top-six center back and a proven goalscorer on the wingthis will increase the pressure on Swayman to be in net next season.
Another pressure Swayman could face heading into next season is fulfilling a lucrative contract. He is eligible to become a restricted free agent next week. If the Bruins sign him to a big long-term contract — something in the range of $7-8 million per year, for example — it will put him under even more pressure to perform at a high level. Just five goalies currently have a salary cap hit above $6.4 million next season, and that group includes four Vezina Trophy winners and two Stanley Cup champions. With a higher salary comes higher expectations.
Make no mistake: the Bruins are very lucky to have Swayman. He projects to be a top-10 goaltender for another eight to 10 years. He is fiercely competitive, a great teammate and embraces the challenge of playing for an Original Six franchise that consistently faces high expectations. He doesn’t let himself get bogged down and both his performance and his arrogance give the players in front of him more confidence.
He really loves playing for the Bruins.
“This is everything to me,” Swayman told reporters on the day of their breakup last month. “I think it’s obvious how much I care about this organization, how much I care about this team and the city. And I wouldn’t want it any other way. That’s what allowed me to go to the rink every day and give it my all because I know I’m representing more than just myself and my family. I’m representing the city and an organization and a great story.
“You talk to guys in the league who don’t have that experience and I feel bad for them. So, I couldn’t be happier to be a Bruin.”
There will be some new challenges for Swayman next season as the undisputed No. 1 goaltender in Boston. He will be under immense pressure to help the Bruins take another step and reach the playoffs for the first time since 2019. The good news for the Bruins is that, so far, he has given the team and their fans every reason to believe in him. will rise to the occasion again.
