Coming into last season, the goaltending options for the Bruins were plentiful, and there wasn’t a true starter when the year started. With Tuukka Rask’s injury, the Bruins had to lean on NHL vet Linus Ullmark and soon-to-be best friend, Jeremy Swayman. Swayman was looking to continue his incredible rookie season, posting a very impressive 1.50 GAA and a .945 SV% in 10 games. Ullmark, on the other hand, was looking to make a good first impression after signing a 4-year, 20 million dollar contract in the offseason. They both played in 41 games and had very similar numbers, so it begs the question; Who will be the full-time starter this season?
Linus Ullmark
When Linus Ullmark signed his deal with the Bruins, there were a lot of fans that were left scratching their heads. Tuukka was having surgery, but most assumed he would be good to go when he returned. This, of course, wasn’t the case, and getting a sure-fire starter in the offseason turned out to be a good call by Don Sweeney. Ullmark struggled at the start of the season but, after 15 games or so, returned to form and looked like the Ullmark that kept Buffalo afloat the season prior. His ‘bromance’ with Swayman helped his image, and they quickly became fan favorites.
Ullmark has been great since he came to Boston, but it’s clear that Swayman is the future goalie. This season may see Swayman get the lion’s share of starts, but if he starts to struggle at any point, Ullmark could take over. It’s pretty good that the Bruins have two competent starting goalies that can each play 40+ games, but it does make the initial choice rather challenging. Ullmark still has three years on his deal, and he isn’t going anywhere for the foreseeable future, so what does that mean for Swayman? At the start of the year, do you go with the proven vet or the young kid, and how long is their leash if either goes on a losing streak?
Jeremy Swayman
Swayman has been excellent since he burst onto the scene only two seasons ago. Posting excellent numbers in Providence got him called up almost immediately, and he hasn’t looked back since. He played so well that he was 4th in Calder Trophy voting. Everyone knows that he is Boston’s goalie of the future, but when will he make the transition to full-time starter? This coming season is a contract year, and he is due to get paid. This should be the year where he shows that he can be a true #1, but his competition will be stiff. Although they are very good friends, there will certainly be a healthy internal competition to see who will be the starter this year.
I think the B’s will give Swayman the net until he plays himself out of that starter role. Ullmark is more than capable of stepping in if Jeremy struggles, but given his stats, it’s hard to see that happening. Assuming they both stay healthy, I can envision a 50/30 split where Swayman gets a chance to prove that he is what the Bruins think he is now that Rask has moved on. If he continues to be excellent, I imagine he will get a three or four-year bridge deal with the Bruins in the offseason. The ball is in his court, and in my mind, I think Swayman has the potential to be a top 3 goalie in the league within the next few years.
