Going into the 2022-23 season, the Boston Bruins appeared to be solid in net as long as Jeremy Swayman and Linus Ullmark could follow up their strong season from 2021-22. It’s safe to say they did.
They were the top goaltending duo in the NHL, but as the season went along, Ullmark proved himself to be the No. 1, but few teams had a backup as good as Swayman. They formed an instant connection and rooted for each other. They combined to win the William M. Jennings Trophy and helped the Black and Gold set an NHL record for wins in a regular season and points. Swayman did not play as much as Ullmark, however, he did prove to everyone that once he’s ready, he’s going to be the answer in goal for Boston for a long time.
Swayman Improved in 2022-23
Ullmark took over the crease and won a league-high 41 games and is the front-runner to win the Vezina Trophy later this month at the NHL Awards in Nashville. Swayman was equally as good, but an injury in early November paved the way for Ullmark to claim the top spot between the pipes.
Against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Nov. 1, Swayman came in relief of Ullmark in the second period after his teammate allowed five goals through a period and a half. The stint was short-lived as Swayman was injured when Patrice Bergeron slid into him, forcing him to leave the game and send Ullmark back in. The Bruins rallied to win the game 6-5 in overtime on a Hampus Lindholm goal, but the injury forced the former University of Maine standout to miss a month with a lower-body injury.
After he returned, it took some time for Swayman to get back on top of his game, but he did and finished the regular season with a 24-6-4 record with a 2.27 goals against average (GAA) and a .901 save percentage (SV%). He had a 41-save performance on the road against the Seattle Kraken in a 6-5 win on Feb. 23. He had a pair of 37-save performances in wins over the Carolina Hurricanes (March 26) and the Philadelphia Flyers (April 9). In two and a half seasons, he is 54-23-7 with a 2.24 GAA and a .920 SV%.
Swayman Only Played in One Playoff Game
It was clear that Ullmark was not right during the first-round series against the Florida Panthers, but coach Jim Montgomery stuck with his top guy. All season long, he had rotated Ullmark and Swayman, but when the former Buffalo Sabres goalie struggled, he stuck with him and it reached its sticking point following a 7-5 Game 6 loss in Florida. Montgomery decided to make the switch to Swayman for Game 7.
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In his first action in two and a half weeks, Swayman played well, but was outplayed by Sergei Bobrovsky. Brandon Montour scored a first-period goal that Swayman would have liked to have had back, but he kept his team in the game despite facing a 2-0 second-period deficit. The Bruins rallied and took the lead early in the third period and were a minute away from advancing when Montour scored again, this time off a deflected shot to force overtime. Carter Verhaeghe ended the Boston season and in historic fashion, by beating Swayman in overtime for a 4-3 victory. The Panthers finished with 32 shots on the net, 28 of which were turned back by Swayman and it makes you wonder with the Black and Gold holding a commanding 3-1 series lead, what might have happened if Montgomery had decided to go to his No. 2 goalie earlier in the series, would it have made a difference?
Bringing Back Swayman Is a Priority for Sweeney
Swayman is one of a handful of free agents this summer, but he is a restricted free agent (RFA) and it’s going to be interesting to see how general manager (GM) Don Sweeney handles this contract. The Bruins have very little cap space and signing him long-term eats up a good chunk of what they can do in the future. The best move might be to get him to take a one-year deal, then next summer, when the Bruins have more cap space, and lock him up long-term.
Of course, there is always the possibility of Sweeney trading Ullmark and his $5 million average annual value (AAV) contract, but that would be surprising considering how well they have played together, but anything this offseason is in play after the disappointment of the first-round exit to the Panthers. Regardless, it’s clear that Swayman, the 111th overall pick in the fourth round of the 2017 Entry Draft, is the future netminder in Boston.
