In a dramatic turn of events, the goaltending situation for the Boston Bruins’ season opener against the Florida Panthers took an unexpected twist as head coach Jim Montgomery shifted gears on who would be between the pipes.
Initially, Montgomery had indicated that Joonas Korpisalo was the frontrunner to start in net for the Bruins. However, on Monday, the coach changed his tune, stating, “[Korpisalo is] a potential goalie tomorrow night. We’re undecided.”
The alternative option, Jeremy Swayman, had recently inked a lucrative eight-year, $66 million deal with the team over the weekend. This agreement came after a tense contract stalemate that had played out in the public eye, with conflicting reports circulating regarding the negotiations.
Just a year prior, Swayman and the Bruins had found themselves in arbitration, and tensions seemed to rise even further as talks dragged on this time around. Bruins’ president Cam Neely’s remarks about having “64 million reasons why I’d be playing right now” added fuel to the fire, though Swayman’s agent, Lewis Gross, refuted the claim of a $64 million offer.
Throughout the negotiations, Swayman had missed the majority of training camp, finally hitting the ice for the first time this season on Monday. Despite the lack of preparation, the 25-year-old exuded confidence, stating, “I feel ready to play. I put myself in that position. I have had a great trainer over at BU during this training camp. I feel like I’ve put myself in a really good position to be ready to perform when I get my name called.”
While Swayman expressed enthusiasm about getting the nod for the season opener, he acknowledged that the final decision rested with the coaching staff. Teammate David Pastrnak welcomed Swayman’s return, recognizing the challenges he faced during the contractual talks.
Last season, Swayman had shared the goaltending duties with Linus Ullmark before emerging as the go-to starter for the playoffs. With Ullmark traded to the Ottawa Senators in the offseason, Swayman was poised to take on the No. 1 role permanently. Notably, Korpisalo was part of the return package in the trade that sent Ullmark to Ottawa.
In the regular season, Swayman compiled an impressive 43-25-10 record with a 2.53 goals-against average and a .916 save percentage. His playoff performance was equally stellar, posting a 6-6 record with a 2.15 GAA and a .933 save percentage.
As the drama unfolded in the Bruins’ goaltending saga, all eyes turned to Montgomery and the coaching staff for the final decision on who would guard the net in the highly anticipated season opener against the Panthers.
