By: Mark Allred | Follow me on Twitter / X @BlackAndGold277
The Boston Bruins were proactive this offseason, preparing for several scenarios that might unfold during the upcoming National Hockey League training camp, set to begin on September 18, 2025, at the Warrior Ice Arena. Entering the camp festivities and competition in the crease this fall will be Jeremy Swayman, Joonas Korpisalo, and Michael DiPietro.
With the competition for the backup role obviously gravitating towards the veteran Korpisalo and the younger DiPietro, recently signed entry-level additions Luke Cavallin and Simon Zajicek will most likely round out the roster attending camp. The free agent additions of Cavallin and Zajicek will likely be early cuts in camp, and both will report to the American Hockey League’s Providence Bruins training camp.
Looking at the Providence Bruins’ goaltending outlook for the upcoming season, it honestly starts with the uncertainty of whether DiPietro or Korpisalo will need waivers after unsuccessfully capturing the backup role behind Swayman during training camp. Suppose one of those goaltenders successfully makes it through waivers and reports to AHL Providence. In that case, it sets in motion a shift to the ECHL Maine Mariners for a netminder to continue developing, which in this case could be recently signed Zajicek.
While it’s still an earn-your-opportunity league (AHL), 24-year-old Cavallin has a tremendous opportunity in Providence, regardless of whether he can secure a starting role or serve as a backup to a new arrival from NHL training camp. Last year, the dual citizen of Canada and Great Britain was one of the ECHL’s better goaltenders over the previous few seasons. This was a sneakily good signing, and the timing couldn’t have been better, as he comes with a winning pedigree.
In a recent Faces Magazine article, Cavallin, an Ottawa, Ontario native, mentioned that there were several teams interested in his services. “I think most of the expectations come from myself. I know what my goals are and how I need to get there. I have put in the work over this past summer and the last few years. My mentality is just to keep getting better everyday and to take small compounded steps toward my end goals.”
“I have actually gotten to experience three NHL training camps prior to this year with the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens, so I have a bit under my belt to prepare myself for what to expect. I am excited to go into this with a new organization and a fresh opportunity. It is always an exciting time of the year with anticipation for the coming season, so I am looking forward to getting started.”
“It has been really hard to take everything in, and none of this feels real yet,” Cavallin said. “I have achieved two of my lifelong goals this summer. It’s still taking a bit to sink in. It’s been a mixed bag of emotions from gratitude, relief, and pure elation, it’s all a bit hard to grasp. I’m happy I’ve been able to share this with my teammates, family and friends.”
The undrafted 6′-2″ 196-pound right catching goaltender was with the NHL Montreal Canadiens ECHL affiliate, the Trois-Rivieres Lions, last year and had a decent regular season. Appearing in 32 games for the ECHL Lions in 2024-25, Cavallin posted a 19-10-2 record with three shutouts while compiling a 2.13 goals-against-average along with a .929 save percentage. Luke only had two three-game losing streaks all of last year and was the backbone to the Lions’ regular-season success after joining the team from the higher AHL Laval Rocket early in the year.
It’s what Cavallin did in the ECHL postseason that was captivating and an attention grabber for higher-level leagues looking for goaltending depth, knowing he’d be a free agent this summer. In 20 playoff games, the former Ontario Hockey League Flint Firebirds goaltender posted an impressive 15-5-0 record accompanied by an excellent 1.53 goals-against-average and .948 save percentage, capturing the Lions’ franchise’s first Kelly Cup Playoff Championship.
If Cavaliin can bring that winning element while maintaining a strong work ethic to the Bruins organization, if he has a good season and is an eye-raiser to the team, he could sign another one-year deal to stay in the fold and potentially become that full-time starter in Providence. You also have to consider how long a netminder would want to keep in that fold with Swayman locked up on a multi-year deal, and even Korpisalo with three years remaining and basically untradeable.
The one factor that I really like about this addition to the crease depth of the B’s is that Cavallin gets to work with a mastermind in the netminding position, with Bob Essensa and his goaltending development coach, Mike Dunham. Obviously, Essnesa is at the NHL level, while Dunham primarily sticks with the Providence Bruins and makes trips around the world, including personal visits to where Bruins goaltending prospects are currently developing.
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