Bruins
“The end goal is to win a Stanley Cup. And I believe that this is a group that can do it and have shots at it for many years.”
Jeremy Swayman has a long memory.
Beyond his poise between the pipes, athleticism, and lightning-fast reflexes, Swayman’s stellar start to his NHL career has been fueled by a competitive fire and a desire to prove others wrong.
Every highlight-reel denial with a sprawling pad stop or glove snag off a screaming wrister validates his claim as one of the league’s top young goalies.
But it’s the doubting, criticism and chatter that resonates with a fixated and fiery netminder — and has spurred his ascension from unheralded fourth-round draft pick to franchise fixture in Boston.
Given that mindset, it should come as little surprise that a contentious arbitration hearing with Boston wedged itself into his subconscious during the 2023-24 season. He mentioned the arduous process and the sour sentiment brewed up from the hearing immediately after earning his first All-Star nod in January.
He referenced it again during Amazon’s NHL docuseries as a regular conduit of his motivation.
“When you go into that room, you don’t say a word,” Swayman said on ‘FACEOFF: Inside the NHL.’ “My arbitrator started first, he said all of these great things. The arbitrator on their side, their job is to help the management side and to rip players, and hearing that you’re not worthy of what you think you’re worthy of, that was hard to hear.
“You don’t forget what was said. I wrote ‘em down and I looked at ‘em the other day and I had a couple of checkmarks. My biggest knock was how I wasn’t trustworthy in the playoffs. Check.”
That focus on the past might have gotten Swayman to where he is today as Boston’s No. 1 option in net. It also might have played a part in the exhaustive contract talks between Swayman and the Bruins that dragged itself to the 11th hour.
But with the ink finally dry on his new eight-year, $66 million contract, Swayman flipped the script.
Rather than harp on the ups and downs that the last few months presented, Swayman focused on the future — and the positive gains set to be struck by both him and the Bruins.
It’s a partnership (and contract) that should pay for itself countless times over.
“I think the motivation is the Stanley Cup, through and through … And I can guarantee you that this step and this chapter in my career is going to motivate me above and beyond what I have done before,” Swayman said Sunday. “And again, the end goal is to win a Stanley Cup.”
Even though the Bruins are still expected to start Joonas Korpisalo for Tuesday’s season opener against the Panthers, the Bruins will move forward with the expectation that Swayman is ready for the taxing reps required for a No. 1 netminder moving forward.
Swayman has spent most of Boston’s training camp working on and off the ice at Boston University, with the Maine Black Bear labeling himself an “honorary Terrier”.
The Bruins will welcome a quick turnaround for Swayman, especially if he builds off the returns put forth during the 2023-24 season.
Swayman’s stock understandably soared during the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs, with the young goalie starting 12 of 13 games and sporting a .933 save percentage.
His 13.3 goals saved above expected led all goalies during the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs (per MoneyPuck), even though he only appeared in two total rounds.
But Swayman was far from just a breakout star in the postseason. For all of the talk of Boston’s goalies being buoyed by the stingy defense in front of them, it was quite the opposite last year with Swayman.
Last season, Boston ranked 22nd in the league in high-danger scoring chances allowed per 60 minutes of even-strength play at 11.54. Oftentimes, it was Swayman and Linus Ullmark who served as the equalizers to Boston’s troubling trend of coughing up Grade-A looks.
Swayman’s 18.4 goals saved above expected rate last season ranked fourth in the NHL (per MoneyPuck) during regular-season play. And while Jim Montgomery and the Bruins are banking on a stouter showing from their defense in 2024-25, having a goalie like Swayman in place is the type of insurance you need at hockey’s most important position.
“Just doing what I’ve been doing,” Swayman said of bracing himself for more responsibilities. “Being the hardest worker on the ice every time I possibly can be. Even though I didn’t have as many drills and obviously game-type scenarios lately, that’s gonna be something that clicks right away.
“As players, we all know that it only takes a couple of real good skates to get back into the rhythm of things and that’s our job. My job is to do exactly that. … I wanna be getting ready right away. I want to start every game. I’m excited for that challenge.”
It’s been an interesting offseason for Swayman, to say the least. Less than a week ago, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that the young goalie was weighing a trade request.
Swayman acknowledged Sunday that those potential scenarios creep into the mind of any player during contentious contract talks.
But in sticking with his theme on Sunday, Swayman once again fixed his focus on what’s next.
It’s a move that both the Bruins and their franchise goalie welcome with a new season upon them.
“There’s a lot of demons that can creep in your head. There’s a lot of unknowns,” Swayman said. “And again, what I knew was my heart was going to be in Boston, and I was going to do everything I could, and my team did everything we could to stay a Bruin for my whole career, and that’s going to continue. So that’s all I did.
“The light was at the end of the tunnel and we knew that we had tools and a reason to stay here. And again, management thought the same thing. So that was a really special point where we finally reached an agreement, and we’ll both be in the same boat of wanting to win the Stanley Cup.”
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