By: Andrew Bluestein | Follow Me On Twitter / X @adbblue
Per Mark Divver of New England Hockey Journal, the Boston Bruins recalled goalie Brandon Bussi Thursday morning from AHL affiliate Providence. Linus Ullmark exited in overtime of Tuesday night’s game against the Arizona Coyotes with what appeared to be a lower-body injury. The defending Vezina Trophy winner needed a lot of help getting off the ice while putting minimal pressure on his legs.
Bussi has served as a backup for the Bruins before but has yet to appear in an NHL game. With Ullmark most likely out long term, this presents a great opportunity for Bussi, who had a strong preseason and has had success in the AHL.
The undrafted free agent out of Western Michigan University has appeared in 57 games for Providence since the 2021-22 season. In that span, he’s posted a 2.60 GAA and a .915 SV% with a record of 35-13-7-2. The 25-year-old earned himself an AHL All-Star game appearance with his solid play last season. Many Bruins fans surely remember his incredible save against the New York Rangers during this preseason.
With Ullmark likely out, Jim Montgomery will undoubtedly change his philosophy of rotating his goalies for every game. However, Bussi has still earned the opportunity to receive some starts at the NHL level. It will be a big test for the 6’4 netminder and a great opportunity for the Bruins front office and coaching staff to see what they have in him. Ullmark’s injury also presents a great opportunity for Jeremy Swayman.
Swayman was awarded a one-year $3.475 million deal in arbitration this off-season. He will again be a restricted free agent this coming off-season, making this a contract year. The former Bruins fourth-round pick has appeared in 21 games this season and has been one of the best-performing goalies in the league. He’s posted a 2.50 GAA and a .920 SV% with an 11-3-6 record.
The former University of Maine Black Bear will now get a chance to have a heavier workload and prove that he can handle it. The most games he has played in a season is 41 during 2021-22. If Ullmark is, in fact, out long term, Swayman has a chance to set a new career high, which could help him ink a bigger contract. This situation also perhaps gives us a look at what the Bruins’s goaltending tandem could look like in future seasons.
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