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So … what’s next for Bruins’ goalie grouping without Jeremy Swayman?
“Every day that Jeremy’s out, it hurts our team, hurts him."
Both Jeremy Swayman and the Bruins aren’t budging in their prolonged contract talks.
As both sides dig in and stave off the concessions that usually bridge a contentious negotiation, one thing is for certain.
It’s a lose-lose for all parties the longer that Swayman remains unsigned — and off the ice for the Bruins.
“Every day that Jeremy’s out, it hurts our team, hurts him,” Don Sweeney said Wednesday. “There’s a preparation we would like to do and he needs to do. But that’s not going to stop me from hopefully finding common ground.”
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The 25-year-old netminder is in his element between the pipes, as evidenced during his sterling playoff run this spring against the Leafs and Panthers (.933 save percentage over 12 games).
But the 2024-25 season will be one of change for Swayman, especially with Linus Ullmark no longer sharing the same dressing room as him.
With just 44 games standing as his career-high in games played, every day spent away from Warrior and goalie maven Bob Essensa stands as a detriment to Boston’s No. 1 netminder as he preps for a heavier workload and added responsibilities.
And as Swayman remains away from Boston’s practice facility until a new deal is struck, a stout Bruins roster runs the risk of taking on water the longer this impasse lingers.
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Entering camp, one of the more intriguing lineup battles worth monitoring was the expected backup role behind Swayman on the depth chart — with rookie Brandon Bussi and veteran Joonas Korpisalo vying for the role.
For now, the Bruins will have to forge ahead with both Korpisalo and Bussi as their primary options in net — a scenario offering little in terms of stability at hockey’s most volatile (and critical) position.
Korpisalo, acquired by Boston from Ottawa in the June trade centered around Ullmark, stands as one of Essessna’s most daunting reclamation projects yet.
The 30-year-old Korpisalo was arguably the league’s worst starting goalie last season with the Senators — sporting a 21-26-4 record with an .890 save percentage. Of 98 eligible goalies in the NHL last season, Korpisalo ranked 97th in goals saved above expected at -16.7, per MoneyPuck.
Swayman, meanwhile, ranked fourth in the same statistic at 18.4 goals saved above expected.
The Bruins are banking on a rebound season from Korpisalo, who did put together solid numbers on a stronger Kings roster in 2023 (.921 save percentage in 11 games).
From Ullmark to Jaroslav Halak to Anton Khudobin, Essensa has developed a sterling track record when it comes to getting veteran goalies to reach new heights in a black-and-gold sweaters.
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“Bob and (goalie development coach) Mike Dunham did a good job breaking down when Joonas was playing well, as opposed to when he wasn’t,” Sweeney said. “And hopefully the structure that we’re going to provide in front of him will help him in some of those areas.
“A few years ago, we did a study with Jaro Halak when he was coming in here, and some of the areas we felt would improve when he got here, and Jaro did a good job. So we’re confident that Joonas will get back to being the goaltender I think that when he went to LA and certainly in stints in Columbus.”
The Bruins will welcome a scenario where Korpisalo rights the ship as the last line of defense in front of a layered, structured zone system. Still, it’s a gamble best played with Korpisalo vying for backup-goalie reps, rather than 50+ starts.
While Korpisalo has had underwhelming returns at the NHL ranks, Bussi hasn’t had any opportunity to prove himself at hockey’s highest level.
Bussi has been knocking at the door for NHL reps over the past two seasons, with Boston investing heavily in the 26-year-old netminder’s development since signing him out of Western Michigan in 2022.
In his first full season in Providence in 2022-23, Bussi earned All-Star honors — posting a 22-5-4 record with a .924 save percentage, good for the third-highest mark in the league. He followed that up with a .913 save percentage in 2023-24.
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But even with that promise, Bussi has yet to log a single game at the NHL level so far — not with Ullmark and Swayman holding down the fort.
“I think what gives us confidence is he has the ability to make big time saves,” Jim Montgomery said of Bussi. “We’ve seen that in Providence. We saw that here last year in that first exhibition game and that incredible save he made. But also it’s his second and third effort. We talk about the Bruins having that, and that’s something that he has in the crease.”
Even if Swayman was accounted for at the start of camp, there’s a compelling case for Bussi to remain with the NHL roster entering the regular season — rather than run the risk of exposing him to waivers before an assignment back down to Providence.
The Bruins may no longer have to deal with that asset-management conundrum if Swayman isn’t available. But this new problem with Swayman’s absence runs a far greater risk of unraveling whatever promising start Montgomery and Co. were hoping to chart in the fall.
Boston has until Dec. 1 to come to terms on a deal with Swayman. Per the NHL’s collective bargaining agreement, if an RFA in Swayman doesn’t sign by that date, he will be ineligible to play for the remainder of the season and the playoffs.
The Bruins are hoping that Swayman is back between the pipes well before that date — especially with so much uncertainty behind him on the roster.
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But the clock is now ticking.
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