The Bruins exceeded expectations this season, and it all started in net with Jeremy Swayman
Third in a three-part series on the Bruins’ offseason. Part 1: forwards | Part 2: defensemen
It was about this time last year when Jeremy Swayman’s bounce forward kicked off.
After a disappointing season (22 wins, an NHL-high 176 goals allowed) that started with a contract dispute and ended without an invitation to the playoffs, Swayman accepted Uncle Sam’s offer to suit up for the World Championship.
Swayman sparkled in the red, white, and blue, going 7-0 with a .921 save percentage and 1.69 goals-against average on the way to the gold medal — the first for the United States since 1933.
“I think that was definitely a turnaround point for me going into this year and capping off last year. Obviously didn’t perform the way I wanted to with the B’s, and USA Hockey management gave me a chance to go to the Worlds and turn it around,” said Swayman told the Globe in December.
“That team really was special to me, and the coaching staff there, especially [goaltending coach] Thomas Speer, really changed my game around, and obviously getting the job done was the cherry on top and just having that weight off your shoulders that I can win, I can be a part of the best, and I carried that momentum throughout the entire summer. Didn’t really take much time off. I was skating pretty much right away and just kept skating consistently. Obviously taking my summers really serious my whole career, but I think it definitely springboarded me.”
Asked about a return to the Worlds this spring, Swayman smiled.
“Baby says no,” said Swayman, who is expecting his first child this summer.
Swayman reestablished himself as a No. 1 in 2025-26, collecting 31 wins with a .907 save percentage and 2.71 GAA.
His consistency and confidence throughout the season permeated throughout the Bruins’ lineup. A goalie’s play is a barometer for the entire team. When the skaters know the netminder has their back, it boosts their play as well, and that’s what Swayman did all season.
Swayman, 27, is locked up through 2032 at $8.25 million annually. That salary-cap number is tied for sixth-highest among goaltenders in the NHL along with former Huggy Bear Linus Ullmark, Jake Oettinger, and Ilya Sorokin.
It’s a fitting price, especially considering that four of the five goalies that draw a bigger check — Igor Shesterkin, Carey Price, Sergei Bobrovsky, and Connor Hellebuyck — missed the playoffs.
To consistently have a chance at the postseason, a franchise goalie is a must. Sure, guys can get hot during a playoff run (case in point this season’s conference finals), but to get there, it takes excellence throughout the season.
Read more There are 20 days until the World Cup. Just tuning in? Here are 20 things to know to get caught up.
Swayman gives the Bruins a chance to win every night.
“We made some really good strides this year for what we’re building and that’s to make noise in the playoffs,” he said. “So, I think it’ll be a good summer. Hopefully guys are going to come back ready to go and I think we all have confidence that that’s going to be the case.”
Behind Swayman, Joonas Korpisalo provided solid relief, collecting 14 wins with a .894 save percentage and 3.15 GAA. Perhaps his biggest contribution was providing competition for Swayman. It kept both netminders sharp.
“Of course. We do that every day in practice, whenever,” said Korpisalo. “[Swayman] had a phenomenal season, so it was fun to work with him all year. And him getting the results, of course, then I go in and I need to do the same. So, it’s healthy and fun competition . . . I love working with him.”
Korpisalo, 32, is on the Bruins’ books for two more seasons at $3 million per. His annual cap hit is $4 million, though the Senators pay $1 million of that.
Still, $3 million is a heavy toll for a backup. Moving Korpisalo to be able to reallocate those funds to more pressing needs would be a prudent move.
The Rangers, Oilers, and Flyers could be possible trade partners. A mid-round draft pick next month or next year would be a reasonable return.
Moving Korpisalo would also create an opportunity for Michael DiPietro. The 26-year-old is coming off back-to-back outstanding seasons in Providence that included 60 wins, and he is poised to make $812,500 next season.
DiPietro could be pushed in camp by fellow Providentian Simon Zajicek, who impressed in his first season in the States, going 14-6-1 with a 2.44 GAA and .915 save percentage.
Also in the pipeline is Max Lundgren, who signed as an undrafted free agent after leading Merrimack to the school’s first Hockey East title in March. Lundgren has exceptional size (6 feet 5 inches) and skating ability, allowing him to move well horizontally and vertically to cut down angles.
Philip Svedeback, a fourth-round pick in 2021 who just wrapped up four years with the Providence Friars (54 wins), has yet to sign a deal with the Bruins.
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