The Bruins have indicated that Jeremy Swayman might be in line to start the season opener against the Panthers.
The Bruins weren’t anticipating Jeremy Swayman to start in goal for their opening night matchup against the Florida Panthers on Tuesday. However, with Swayman back on the team after signing an eight-year extension, he might become Boston’s starting goaltender for the NHL’s 2024-25 season opener.
Boston’s head coach Jim Montgomery mentioned on Monday that Swayman could be a contender to start against the Panthers. Earlier, Montgomery had named Joonas Korpisalo as the starter, but that was before Swayman’s contract situation was resolved.
Currently, Montgomery stated that the team has yet to decide who will be in goal on Tuesday.
Swayman signed an eight-year deal worth $8.25 million per season on Sunday and traveled with the team to Florida. He participated in practice on Monday, where Montgomery noted he brought “great energy” to the ice.
“I thought he elevated practice and looked sharp,” Montgomery said.
After Monday’s practice, Swayman expressed that he felt “ready to play.”
He mentioned, “It’s great to be back. It feels like a breath of fresh air… I feel ready to play… I’ve had great training at BU during this camp, and I feel like I’m in a really good position.”
Given that Swayman missed training camp, Montgomery initially expected the 25-year-old would need a few extra days to get up to game speed. However, after observing Swayman on Monday, that outlook may have shifted.
It’s also possible that Montgomery is keeping the defending champion Panthers on their toes about Boston’s starting goaltender. The decision should be clearer after the Bruins’ morning skate on Tuesday.
During Monday’s practice, Bruins players made Swayman skate an additional lap, perhaps providing the extra conditioning he needed. He hasn’t played in a game since May 17, when Florida eliminated Boston from the playoffs in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Last season, Swayman had a record of 25-10-8 with a .916 save percentage and a 2.53 goals-against average over 44 games (43 starts), sharing duties with Linus Ullmark. He started 12 of Boston’s 13 playoff games, finishing with a 6-6 record, a .966 save percentage, and a 2.15 GAA.
Now, Swayman is expected to take on the role of the Bruins’ No. 1 goaltender, and he aims to play 55 games this season, with Korpisalo—acquired from the Ottawa Senators in a trade for Ullmark—serving as his backup.
