Bruins: Jeremy Swayman deep dive; Is he the future in goal?

Jeremy Swayman has been an NHL goaltender for just over a year for the Boston Bruins, and the fan base is excited for what he projects to be for the franchise. A bonafide starting goalie to carry a franchise through some winning years. Unfortunately, Swayman is just not ready to be the savior in black and gold.
Linus Ullmark was brought in on a long-term contract to be the backbone in net for the Bruins, thankfully?

Development

Don Sweeney and company made it very clear that they didn’t think Swayman was the right choice to rely on this season with the Tuukka Rask comeback attempt. This was a heavily debated topic on who Rask would beat out between the pipes, and the answer was Jeremy Swayman. While Swayman did have the ability to go up and down from the AHL without waivers, it was always going to be Swayman.
Sweeney had signed Ullmark to a contract while knowing that Rask would most likely end up in net for the Bruins this season. For Swayman, this isn’t a bad thing. Yes, he would lose out on the NHL pay and privileges, but he would be the starter in Providence and have the ability to manage to be a professional goalie. Swayman has only started in 50 professional games; NHL and AHL combined.

Toward the beginning of the year, Swayman was sheltered to an extent. The only playoff contenders he faced were Calgary, Carolina, Tampa Bay, Vegas, and the New York Rangers. In those games, Swayman has a SV% of .875. His starts were primarily against non-playoff opponents outside of those five games. I believe this contributed to the elevated statistics in his play. While carrying a SV% of .923 and a GAA of 2.15, expectations were now elevated.

Obviously, Swayman is exceptionally young for goaltending standards, so judging talent and longevity is fruitless. People have made comparisons to Matt Murray, Jordan Binnington, and Carter Hart when referring to the talent that Swayman has. While Murray and Binnington have Stanley Cup victories on their belts, this terrifies me. All three goalies mentioned have fizzled out after 2-3 good seasons in the net, which is not something that instills confidence.

The Future

So, where does Swayman go from here? With Ullmark being signed for four more years, odds are Swayman will be the 1B in Boston until a time where he can really wow the coaching staff. Could getting the bulk of starts in Providence be beneficial? Maybe, but the Bruins don’t have any other NHL-caliber backup that could replace him at the moment. I believe that Swayman will be THE starter in Boston in 2-3 years.

Linus Ullmark does have trade protection through the end of next season, and you can almost guarantee that he will at minimum play through the rest of next season. Then serious conversations could be had about the future of the net. If you’re asking yourself, “could the Bruins move on from Ullmark?” I would tell you to look at the rest of the team, most players are signed until the end of next season, and the Bruins will have plenty of cap space to maneuver. However, if the Bruins find themselves at a point where a rebuild or retool is in the cards, Ullmark could easily be moved for a good return while still having Swayman between the pipes to carry the next core into the future.

Conclusion

While I do not think Swayman is the answer for the Bruins right now, he is showing the poise and finesse that you would expect from an NHL starting goaltender. As Swayman continues developing and gaining experience over the next couple of years in a sheltered role, I believe he will blossom into an All-Star net-minder. My only hope is that Swayman isn’t forced into a starting role too soon and ends up just like Murray and Binnington.

Season 4. Episode 37. Gimme a J. Gimme a G. Bruins Benders Podcast

 Join the Bruins Benders Podcast as they cover the HOTTEST topics in the Boston Bruins market, along with…- Brad Marchand wins his second Cup.- Bruins are in on another overseas player. Maxim Shabanov of the KHL. Is this the only real route they can take now?- Bruins Development Camp Roster is out. What are some intriguing names?- More teams shopping draft picks. Will the Bruins be able to trade the 7th pick?- Troy Terry is potentially available. Is he a fit for the Bruins?& Much More!Bruins Benders Premium Hoodies $55https://shop.insidetherink.com/products/get-bent-premium-hoodieBruins Benders Long Sleeve Tee $40https://shop.insidetherink.com/products/bruins-benders-long-sleeve-tee-1Bruins Benders Tee $30https://shop.insidetherink.com/products/bruins-benders-t-shirt-1For more from us, visit: insidetherink.com/bruins-bendersBoston Bruins Trade Rumors, Boston Bruins News, Boston Bruins, Jeremy Swayman, Joonas Korpisalo, Charlie McAvoy, Brandon Carlo, Nikita Zadorov, Hampus Lindholm, Mason Lohrei, Andrew Peeke, Parker Wotherspoon, Johnny Beecher, Mark Kastelic, Justin Brazeau, Cole Koepke, Trent Frederic, Matthew Poitras, Charlie Coyle, Pavel Zacha, Morgan Geekie, Brad Marchand, David Pastrnak, Elias Lindholm, Oliver Wahlstrom, Fabian Lysell, Georgii Merkulov, Joe Sacco, Don Sweeney, Cam Neely, Brandon Carlo Trade#nhl #nhlbruins #hockey #bostonbruins #nhlplayoffs #bruins #nhlhockey #nhlmemes #boston #nhlallstar #nhldiscussion #nhlnews #nhledits #nhldraft #bruinsnation #nhlawards #nhltrade #hockeylife #tdgarden #nhlhighlights #bostonsports #bruinshockey #bruinsfan #nhlblackhawks #nhlglobalseries #nhlfi #nhlleafs #nhltrades #nhltradedeadline #nhlcanadiens #nhl #nhlnews #hockey #nhlhockey #nhlplayoffs #nhledits #nhldiscussion #nhlmemes #nhldraft #nhlallstar #hockeylife #hockeynews #hockeymemes #nhlhighlights #icehockey #sports #hockeyislife #nhlbruins #hockeyplayers #hockeyfan #hockeyplayer #hockeyedits #stanleycup #nhlawards #hockeygame #hockeyboys #hockeygram #hockeyfights #nhltrade #nhltrades 
  1. Season 4. Episode 37. Gimme a J. Gimme a G.
  2. Season 4. Episode 36. What's Your Vector, Victor?
  3. Season 4. Episode 35. Riding the Sturm Out.
  4. Season 4. Episode 34. Marco? Polo?
  5. Season 4. Episode 33. Sweens Extension

Discover more from Inside The Rink

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Connor Green

Managing Editor | Inside the Rink

Leave a Reply

Carter Amico 2025 Draft Profile

2025 NHL Draft Prospect Profile: Carter Amico

Carter Amico is a big, mobile defenseman who played prep hockey at Mount St. Charles in Rhode Island and is a product of the United States National Development Team. In 80 total games with the development team, Amico scored just two goals and does not provide much offense. The 6-foot-6, 235-pound blueliner will head to […]

Read More
Benjamin Kevan 2025 Draft Profile

2025 NHL Draft Prospect Profile: Benjamin Kevan

Benjamin Kevan is a 6-foot-183-pound forward who most recently played with the Des Moines Buccaneers of the United States Hockey League. The 18-year-old also participated in the United States National Development Program and played 13 games with two goals and an assist, and contributed the same offensive stats in seven games in the World Junior […]

Read More
Adam Benak 2025 Draft Profile

2025 NHL Draft Prospect Profile: Adam Benak

Adam Benak is an 18-year-old left-shooting center from Plzen, Czechia, who is projected to be drafted around the middle of the second round of the 2025 NHL Entry Draft. He spent the 2024-25 season playing for the Youngstown Phantoms, where he scored 17 goals and 42 assists over 56 games. He also played for the […]

Read More