The Boston Bruins season ended early, and the team thought it was good enough to win a Stanley Cup. Changes are coming to North Station, and that could mean the popular goaltending duo of Jeremy Swayman and Linus Ullmark may not be together next season.
Swayman became the team’s number one goaltender late in the season, rising above the 2022-23 Vezina Trophy winner Linus Ullmark. Boston Bruins General Manager Don Sweeney says the team would like to keep both men, but its priority is getting Swayman signed to a new contract.
How will the Bruins handle this goaltender conundrum?
Swayman Won The Job Late In the Season
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Linus Ullmark lost game two of the first-round series against the Toronto Maple Leafs and didn’t play again in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. In the regular season, they had nearly identical numbers.
| Player | Wins | Losses | Save % | G.A.A. |
| Jeremy Swayman | 25 | 10 | .916 | 2.53 |
| Linus Ullmarn | 22 | 10 | .915 | 2.57 |
Don Sweeney said getting Swayman back in black is at the top of the offseason to-do list. “It’s clearly a priority, and Jeremy knows,” Sweeney said at the end-of-season media availability with the team’s front office. “He’s a big part of our current team and our future.”
Ullmark will make $5 million in Boston next season, and he’s going into the final year of a four-year contract for $20 million, which he signed in 2021. He becomes a free agent after the 2024-25 season.
“Right now, he’s really happy. We were very happy to sign Linus. And in a perfect world, we would keep the tandem, because I think it’s damn good,” Sweeney said. “But we’re going to explore opportunities. My phone’s going to ring. I’m going to make calls. That’s just what the job requires.”
The Offseason Offers Opportunities For Boston
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Jeremy Swayman will also become a free agent after next season, so the Boston Bruins must decide on his future before training camp opens in September. Sweeney says “If we can make the math work, we’re going to have the best tandem. If we can’t, we’re going to explore.”
Sweeney said Ullmark could change his mind and ask to be traded somewhere where he could play more. As for Ullmark, he says he wants to stay in Boston.
“My future here. I got one more year,” Ullmark said. “I wouldn’t want anything else than to come back here, get a little bit of a revenge tour. I’m very excited, motivated for what’s to come.”
One Canadian Team May ‘Take a Run’ at Ullmark
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Several outlets are reporting the Ottawa Senators want an upgrade in goal and they want Ullmark. Joonas Korpisalo and Anton Forsberg were two of the worst netminders statistically in 2023-24. The Senators tried to pry Ullmark from Boston last year, and they may call Sweeney again soon.
The Ottawa Sun’s hockey reporter Bruce Garrioch writes, “A league executive said Thursday he believes the Senators would likely have to offer defenseman Jakob Chychrun along with a first-round pick and another selection to acquire Ullmark.
The Senators want to keep Chychrun in the capital but may have to let him go to get a Vezina Trophy-winning goaltender.
About The Author
Bradley Tachco is a career journalist. He spent 12+ years at CNN as a writer and live producer. My sports are the NHL, MLB, and NFL. My goal: unique content. And my teams are the Buffalo Sabres, Buffalo Bills (yes, It is often difficult), and the Los Angeles Dodgers. I have been a Dodgers fan since I was old enough to think. I have gone through decades of despair with all three franchises. You can follow Bradley on X @p09691
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