For Jeremy Swayman, the last year and a half has been nothing but a roller coaster ride. Heralded as Boston’s next future star goaltender, a contract dispute in the 2024 off-season led to a bitter training camp environment that resulted in Swayman not participating at all until game two of the regular season. The fifth-year goaltender believe he earned his new contract based on his stellar performance in the 2024 postseason against the Toronto Maple Leafs, while the Boston Bruins were reluctant to pay Swayman a large sum given his age and accomplishments. However, an eight-year 64 million dollar deal was eventually signed and Swayman became the Bruins bona fide number one starter for seemingly years to come. But the Bruins had a lackluster 2024, 2025 campaign, finishing in last place in the Atlantic division and and earning a top 10 draft pick. Swayman struggled as well, having a career worst season in terms of goals against average and save percentage. The silver lining for the Bruins missing the playoffs was that it allowed Swayman to participate in the IIHF World Championships as Team USA‘s number one goalie, given that both Connor Hellebuyck and Jake Oettinger were still playing for the Winnipeg Jets and Dallas Stars respectively in the postseason. Swayman excelled at the World Championships, leading the United States to a gold medal for the first time in 86 years.
Swayman was recently on record telling The Athletic’s Fluto Shinzawa that the World Championships experience gave him the confidence he needed to help the Bruins again this current season. The Bruins have faced injuries on their blue line, including Hampus Lindholm and Charlie McAvoy at different times throughout this season. It has sometimes been up to Swayman and his fellow netminder Joonas Korpisalo to hold down the fort when the defense struggled. Swayman, to his credit, has to-date posted a league-best goal saved above expected - an analytic stat category used to describe goaltenders who routinely go above and beyond when their team fails defensively in front of them. This is a testament to the way Jeremy Swayman has performed well despite some of the musical chairs on defense. On one occasion, Jeremy Swayman stopped 43 out of 44 shots against the New York Islanders. On another occasion, he stopped Alex DeBrincat, Patrick Kane, and Lucas Raymond point blank in a shootout win over the Detroit Red Wings.
This performance over the last 6 to 8 months during both the NHL season and the World Championships gives him a strong consideration to be part of the United States Olympic team in February, as long as he’s healthy. Recently, Oettinger and Hellebuyck have struggled with poor performance and injuries respectively. Swayman was the third-string goalie among those three chosen for the Four Nations Face Off last year and the only one not to see action during that competition. Considering the other two have become question marks for Milano Cortina, Swayman has a possibility of earning the number one spot. Yes, it’s an outside chance, but often goalies of all stripes earn the job rather than have the job given it to them. Other American goalies like Dustin Wolf and Anthony Stolarz have been awful. Thatcher Demko, like Hellebuyck, is an injury concern. Others such as Spencer Knight, have surged like Swayman has. At this point, the job is still Hellebuyck’s to lose but his injury question looms large over the United States roster construction.
If Team USA gets to a point where Hellebuyck is not healthy enough or Jake Oettinger is still underperforming, they may take a serious look at Swayman as their number one goaltender. One could argue he’s already played his way into the number two slot. If Swayman keeps going, the Americans will have a big decision to make.