By: Chad Jones | Follow me on Twitter/X @ShutUpChadJones
Earlier this week, Jeremy Swayman attended the Boston Bruins captain’s practice. The Bruins’ number one goaltender took the ice with other notable players, such as David Pastrnak, Charlie McAvoy, Morgan Geekie, and others.
Swayman is already getting involved with optional team activities, which is noteworthy, as he missed all of training camp last year while negotiating a new contract. Bruins General Manager Don Sweeney would eventually sign the net minder to an eight-year deal worth $66 million.
It has been well documented, and rightfully so, that he was not good enough between the pipes for Boston last season. With Linus Ullmark off to Ottawa, Swayman struggled mightily to grab the reins in the increased role. Playing in a new career high of 58 contests, a 14-game increase from the previous year, he was subpar as the Bruins’ last line of defense.
Swayman’s save percentage dipped from .916 to .892, and his goals against average ballooned from 2.53 scores allowed per game to 3.11. He could not get on track throughout the season or consistently find his game.
It is fair to wonder how much of this drop in play was from missing training camp and the pressure of living up to that contract. Being a goaltender in the National Hockey League is hard enough mentally when things are going well off the ice. A distraction of that proportion can throw a monkey wrench into the preparation.
Not to mention, Swayman did not adjust well to the increased workload that came with being Boston’s certified number one goaltender. While playing with Ullmark, they would share the net evenly, and either would be able to find a rhythm as the hot hand or get a chance to reset and take a bit of a recharge. With Joonas Korpisalo as the solidified number two netminder, Swayman struggled in his first year of adjusting to the role.
It is hard to gauge how much of Swayman’s dip in play was related to the mental or physical aspects of the situation. Being the number one goaltender with a new contract certainly shines the spotlight brighter. Moreover, playing more games and being in net for the challenging matchups can also take a toll physically.
It is an excellent sign for the Bruins that Swayman is already participating in the captain’s practices. Boston needs him to be ready physically and mentally for the regular-season puck drop next month. The Bruins cannot afford back-to-back down years from Swayman between the pipes.
Bruins Head Coach Marco Sturm will have his hands full in his first year behind Boston’s bench. He will be looking to spark a jolt from the offense and find more consistently steady play from the defense. The last thing he needs is a question mark in net.
Swayman is more than capable of producing a bounce-back season. He has shown success at the NHL level and has the talent to consistently put together good performances between the pipes. But he needs to be able to mentally forget about last season and get physically ready to set the tone in Boston’s crease. It is a great sign that he is already back on the ice, getting ready for this season.
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