By: Chad Jones | Follow me on Twitter/X @ShutUpChadJones
One of the most significant problems that plagued the 2024-2025 Boston Bruins was the goaltending situation. After three years of Jeremy Swayman and Linus Ullmark combining for an effective tandem between Boston’s pipes, Swayman was given the reins to become the Bruins’ solidified number one netminder.
In his first year in the role, Swayman struggled and posted an .892 save percentage and a 3.11 goals against average. While playing in a career high 58 games, he only managed to win 22 contests.
Swayman’s backup was Joonas Korpisalo, who was acquired as part of the package the Ottawa Senators traded to Boston in exchange for Ullmark. In his first year donning the Spoked-B, Korpisalo posted okay numbers for a reserve goalie, with an .893 save percentage and a goals against average of 2.90.
The season got off on the wrong skate before the initial puck drop occurred. During the offseason, Swayman’s camp and Bruins’ General Manager Don Sweeney were haggling about the goaltender’s contract extension. While Swayman did sign before Boston’s first game, he had missed the entire training camp.
That storyline hung over Swayman and the Bruins like a dark cloud the entire year. He was not as sharp between the pipes, both physically and mentally. It is impossible to gauge how much of Swayman’s subpar play stemmed from missing training camp, playing an increased number of games, and consistently drawing the tougher offensive matchups. Also, we cannot know how significant the mental elements of being the number one goaltender and living up to that contract were.
The bottom line is that Swayman will need to be more locked in this season, so the Bruins can produce a better on-ice product. Sturm will have to watch how Boston’s number one netminder handles his second year in this position. It will be interesting to see how many games Swayman starts in the net this year compared to last season.
Swayman was not the only Bruins goaltender who brought drama into the organization. At the end of the year, Koorpisalo voiced some frustration in only making 24 starts and appearing in 27 games. Not that Sturm should be overly concerned with the attitude of the backup goaltender, but he must be aware of the dynamic.
Sturm has to monitor how Swayman reacts to this workload with a full offseason and training camp. If Swayman again looks shaky between the pipes early on, Korpisalo should get more starts at the beginning of the season. The last thing the Bruins need is for Swayman to get off to a poor start and deal with the same mental hurdles from the previous season.
It will be interesting to see how Sturm handles Boston’s net. Swayman has much to prove, and Korpisalo is hungry for a greater slice of the starting pie. Sturm must find the right balance between the pipes and watch how both goaltenders are physically and mentally reacting to his decisions.
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