An age-old adage in the NHL is that the best teams are built from the net out. Though there are many moving parts and factors to consider when building a successful team in the NHL, there’s no denying that strong goaltending play can be the difference between a good team and a great one. In this respect, the Boston Bruins have been very fortunate to have strong goaltending for the better parts of two decades. A big part of this is the team’s goaltending coach Bob Essensa, who works with all of the goalies in the system, split between the NHL and AHL teams. The other component, though, is the talent that’s come and gone through the system over the years. The newest player of interest at the position for the Bruins is 24-year-old goalie Simon Zajicek, who signed with the team in May of this year.
Zajicek joined the Bruins on a one-year entry-level deal worth $872,500 after garnering some interest from other teams last season. The Czech Republic-native played in 29 games with HC Litvinov of Czech Extraliga last season and put together a 15-13-0 record. Though the win-loss record certainly doesn’t jump off the screen, his very impressive 2.12 goals-against average and .930 save percentage are impossible to ignore. In fact, he’d rank first in the league in save percentage and second in shutouts, registering five blank sheets last season. He’d also add three postseason games to his resume in 2024-25, continuing his dominance with a .927 save percentage and a 2.63 goals-against average.
For Zajicek, choosing to sign with the Bruins made a lot of sense. On the one hand, there’s the history of Bruins’ goaltending being strong and Essensa proving to be a gold standard in the industry. On the other hand, the Bruins’ goaltending depth in Providence is barren behind Michael DiPietro with Brandon Bussi signing a contract with the Florida Panthers this offseason. DiPietro could be competing for a job in the NHL once again this season and even if he doesn’t beat out Joonas Korpisalo for the team’s back-up job behind Jeremy Swayman, Zajicek’s path to starts is wide open in Providence.
Zajicek Turns Heads Early
When discussing Zajicek’s performance for the Bruins against the Pittsburgh Penguins at the Prospects Challenge, Bruins’ player development coach Jamie Langenbrunner was very complimentary.
“He looked calm. He looked poised. He looked like a seasoned pro,” Langenbrunner said. “He’s a guy that our goalie group said had some intrigue in him. We’re excited to see where it goes.”
It wasn’t just Langenbrunner who was singing Zajicek’s praise, though. Providence Bruins’ head coach Ryan Mougenel also chimed in on the team’s newest goalie.
“I thought he was awesome,” said Mougenel. “He seems like he reminds me a lot of, and it’s unfair, but he reminds me of a lot of the personality of Dan Vladar, who was a fantastic kid for us. They’re both Czech and he seems like he loves the game. He’s full of life, so that’s encouraging and I look forward to working with him.” from ‘Bruins goalie Simon Zajicek displays true colors in loss to Penguins at Prospects Challenge‘ Boston Globe – 9/12/2025
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In the end, having a consistent flow of strong goaltending prospects in the system is akin to having liquid gold for an NHL team. While the majority of them will likely find success elsewhere at the NHL level with Swayman in place as the goalie of the present and long-term future, there’s no reason to stop shooting darts at the dart board and finding suitable back-ups, possible starters of the future, or even trade assets down the line. Zajicek looks like an intriguing player for the Bruins and he’ll be a name to keep an eye on this season in the AHL.
