No Boston Bruins 2024-25 season preview would be complete without talking about the goalie drama in Bean Town. If they can't settle up with RFA stud goalie Jeremy Swayman, are the Bruins doomed to a forgotten NHL season?
Boston Bruins 2024 Offseason Acquisitions
- Received Joonas Korpisalo in trade with Ottawa Senators
- Signed Max Jones to a two-year contract
- Signed Elias Lindholm to a seven-year contract
- Signed Nikita Zadorov to a six-year contract
Boston Bruins 2024 Offseason Departures
- Linus Ullmark traded to the Ottawa Senators
- Jame van Riemsdyk signed with the Columbus Blue Jackets
- Pat Maroon signed with the Chicago Blackhawks
- Jake DeBrusk signed with Vancouver Canucks
Boston Bruins 2024-25 Season Preview: The Void Between The Posts
Per the odds, Boston is favored to make the playoffs. Their odds on "To Make The Playoffs (Yes)" are currently at -238. A "No" is +190. They're favored not only to make the playoffs but to do so comfortably with the OVER on their 99.5 points regular-season total favored at -120.
But how do they get there without a goalie?
As you're probably aware, the Bruins traded Vezina Trophy winner Linus Ullmark to the Senators (and received Joonas Korpisalo in return). And now they've pissed off RFA Jeremy Swayman with contract dilly-dallying and drama.
Cam Neely on the Jeremy Swayman negotiations:
— Ian Steele (@RealianSteele6) September 30, 2024
"I don't want to get into the weeds with what his ask is, but I have 64 million reasons why I'd be playing right now."@ABC6 #NHLBruins pic.twitter.com/1wMPfMGdXC
To recap, Ullmark who averaged a 2.28GAA and 0.924SV% in three years with the B's is gone and his young protogé Swayman who's averaged a 2.34GAA and a 0.919SV% is out of contract with rumors of a trade request swirling if the contract impass continues. Remember, Swayman has the third-best preseason Veizna odds at +725. And Boston won't pay up.
Boston doesn't have the type of offense to outscore their problems. With 263 goals last year, they finished 13th in the league for offense. Losing DeBrusk, van Riemsdyk, Maroon and bringing in Lindholm, the B's have dropped more goals than they brought in.
Yes, I know Boston still has David Pastrnak and his 108 goals over the last two seasons. I believe he'll go OVER his 49.5 goal total on the year. And like oddsmakers, I believe Pasta is Auston Matthews's closest competition for the Rocket Richard Trophy. Matthews is favored at -110 with Pasta second at +600.
But even with Pasta scoring 50 goals they'll have Korpisalo in nets. And with all due respect to Joonas Korpisalo, his time with the Ottawa Senators proved he's not an everyday starter on a playoff team. The Senators did a good job of insulating Korpisalo keeping xGA and HDCA in the middle of the league but the Finnish goalie still finished with a poor 3.27GAA and a 0.890SV% in 55 games.
I doubt this contract issue between Swayman and the Bruins is resolved amicably. Either he's traded or signed to a small bridge deal with the younger tender adding another item to his list of wrongs.
Jeremy Swayman wrote down a list of the Bruins criticisms from this 2023 arbitration hearing, and read them during the last season 👀
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) October 3, 2024
(via Amazon’s “Faceoff” docuseries) pic.twitter.com/ZA6liE7Hsq
I'm looking at the Bruins to miss the playoffs at +194. And certainly, forget putting any money on the Bruins to win the Cup at +975. They've done themselves a massive disservice by trading away Ullmark before getting Swayman under contract. Now their greatest strength has turned into a massive weakness.
If after I've written this Swayman is signed to a contract and during the signing presser he officially states that all is well, then maybe revisit this take.
