By: Jake Ferraro | Follow me on Twitter/X @18Jxxx18
Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman will have the honor of playing for Team USA at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan, Italy. Representing your country is an honor for athletes in sports, and Swayman will have the honor of doing it on a big stage.
Swayman represented Team USA last season at the 4 Nations Face-Off and the IIHF World Championships. Today, based on how this National Hockey League season has gone, Swayman has reason to be Team USA’s top goaltender on the depth chart at the Olympics next month.
Along with Swayman, Team USA will have two other goaltenders on the roster: Jake Oettinger of the Dallas Stars and Connor Hellebuyck of the Winnipeg Jets. All three goaltenders represented Team USA at the 4 Nations Face-Off, but Swayman didn’t play in the event. Oettinger and Hellebuyck are viewed by many as two of the NHL’s best goaltenders, but neither of them has had the best season to be Team USA’s top option over Swayman.
This season in Dallas, Casey DeSmith has posted better numbers as Oettinger’s backup in two big goaltending categories. DeSmith’s 2.46 GAA and .911 save percentage are better than Oettinger’s 2.68 GAA and .903 save percentage. While Oettinger has started 12 more games than DeSmith this season and has 17 wins, he hasn’t quite stood out like in past seasons.
While that isn’t the case with Eric Comrie being Winnipeg’s backup goaltender, Hellebuyck’s goaltending has dropped significantly. While leading the Jets to the Presidents’ Trophy last season, Hellebuyck won the Hart Trophy, Vezina Trophy, and Jennings Trophy, which is rare for a goaltender to do in a single season. Hellebuyck won 47 games while recording a 2.00 GAA and a .925 save percentage. This season, Hellebuyck’s Jets are the worst team in the Central Division, and Hellebuyck is a reason why. Hellebuyck has a 12-12-4 record with a 2.73 GAA and a .901 save percentage in 28 games played. The Jets are not getting the Hellebuyck from last season, and are having a disastrous season.
Swayman has delivered a big turnaround season so far for Boston. Last season, Swayman had a disastrous season after posting a 22-29-7 record with 3.11 GAA and a .892 save percentage. Swayman’s 176 goals allowed were the most by a goaltender last season. In 33 games played this season, Swayman has recorded a 19-11-2 record with a 2.77 GAA and a .905 save percentage. Because of Swayman having a turnaround season at this point in the season, the Bruins currently hold a playoff spot. The Bruins will rely on Swayman more to keep the team in a playoff position.
When looking at the numbers and impact this season, Swayman has reason to be the clear option of being Team USA’s top goaltender for the Olympics next month. Swayman has more wins and a better save percentage than both Oettinger and Hellebuyck. Even though it’s not by much, Swayman does have a higher GAA than Oettinger and Hellebuyck. However, in fairness to Swayman, he has played more games this season than Oettinger and Hellebuyck.
In addition, the impact of Swayman this season for the Bruins needs to be mentioned. The Stars were projected to be near the top of the NHL before this season started, and they currently have the second-best record in the NHL. Not many were certain that the Bruins would be in a playoff position by mid-January. However, Swayman’s goaltending has helped the team be in a playoff position.
Swayman should also be considered to be Team USA’s top goaltender after the Bruins missed the 2025 playoffs. While winning all seven of his starts, Swayman posted a 1.69 GAA and .925 save percentage to lead Team USA to a gold medal in the 2025 IIHF World Championships.
Swayman has shown he’s capable of being the top goaltender in Boston this season, and he can certainly do it for Team USA over Oettinger and Hellebuyck at the 2026 Olympics.
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