By: Andrew Bluestein | Follow Me On Twitter / X @adbblue
Heading into the 2024-25 season, Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman signed an eight-year, $66 million contract. The negotiations led to a holdout through training camp, and Swayman was absent, which led to him not getting the start in the team’s season opener against the Florida Panthers.
During this past off-season, all kinds of attention was focused on Swayman’s contract situation, which may have caused a few distractions in the locker room. Many factors led to the Bruins’ netminder having a disappointing season.
After the Bruins dealt Linus Ullmark to the Ottawa Senators, they decided that Swayman was the guy. Coming into the season, he had a career-high in appearances of 44. He surpassed that by appearing in 58 games this season and struggled to handle the load. He finished with a 3.12 and a .892%, well below what was expected.
Perhaps he could have benefited from his backup, Joonas Korpisalo, getting more opportunities between the pipes to lighten his workload. Korpisalo appeared in 27 games and posted a 2.90 and a .893%. Ty Anderson of 98.5 The Sports Hub mentioned on The Underground podcast that the backup netminder was not pleased with the number of starts he made.
Swayman also didn’t get much help from the guys in front of him, as the team allowed five goals or more in 24 games this season. They also had the fifth-worst goal differential at -50. Swayman did, however, have flashes where he played well and finished with four shutouts, which was tied for the fourth most in the NHL.
Bruins fans know that the Alaska native is more than capable of living up to his contract. His numbers prior to this season prove it, posting 2.58 and .910% for his career. He was also voted a 2023-24 All-Star and had an impressive postseason stretch in the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs.
Missing training camp was undoubtedly a factor in Swayman not getting the reps he needed to be game-ready off the bat, and he never found a rhythm. A long off-season will allow the number one goaltender to reset physically and mentally. Furthermore, having the opportunity to participate in a full training camp with the team will have him ready and in game shape to start the 2025-26 campaign.
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