Bruins’ Jeremy Swayman, Linus Ullmark hoping to return
The Boston Bruins are bringing a close to their season with exit interviews on Sunday.
Despite rumors and skepticism all season long, both halves of their star goalie tandem have expressed excitement for next season. Jeremy Swayman – the younger of the pair and Boston’s most recent starter – told reporters he hopes to sign a long-term extension with the Bruins, per Ty Anderson of the 985 Sports Hub Underground. Swayman added that he’s confident a deal will get done and that he doesn’t want to play anywhere else.
Meanwhile, de facto backup Linus Ullmark curbed trade rumors, emphasizing that he has one more year on his contract to Amalie Benjamin of NHL.com.
“I have 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.”
Ullmark was similarly stand-offish when asked about his 16-team no-trade clause, shares Anderson, saying that the teams on his list are there for a reason. Ullmark reportedly blocked a trade deadline move to the Los Angeles Kings, though neither Ullmark nor general manager Don Sweeney have confirmed that. Nonetheless, the former Vezina Trophy winner is standing by his contractual rights, which could make any offseason move that much tougher to pull off.
But that doesn’t mean Boston isn’t still shopping Ullmark around. Moving him remains a top priority for the team prior to the 2024 NHL Draft, shares Fluto Shinzawa of The Athletic. Shinzawa adds that Ullmark’s concerns with a mid-season move were more related to moving away from his family or relocating his children’s schooling than concerns with the destination.
Those worries should be mitigated by the offseason, though they speak to the layers of human consideration that go into trade talks. Luckily, Ullmark should have no shortage of suitors boasting a $5M cap hit for one more season, an incredibly affordable price for a former Vezina winner.
Breaking up the 2023 William Jennings Trophy winners certainly seems like a smart idea for the Bruins.
Swayman proved that he can stay consistent this season, posting 25 wins and a .916 save percentage through 44 games. But his ice time remained limited, with Boston still awarding Ullmark 40 games of his own. He vindicated the appearances with 22 wins and a .915 save percentage.
The two were nearly indistinguishable, with Boston even cycling them in the postseason. And while two great goaltenders is a great problem to have, it’s also preventing Boston from tapping into their great depth chart. Namely, AHL starter Brandon Bussi has seemingly earned an NHL call-up. He posted 23 wins and a .913 save percentage in 41 AHL games this year, and is showing patented Bruins clutch in the playoffs, with a .922 save percentage through four games.
The performances have brought Bussi up to 48 wins and a .918 save percentage in 78 AHL games since 2021 – ranked eighth in the league in wins and 16th in save percentage in that span. Moving Ullmark would have the benefits of allowing Swayman to take on a bigger role, creating opportunity for younger goalies and returning to Boston what’s sure to be a substantial trade package.
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