The Bruins still have 43 days before puck drop and 30 days before training camp, but one familiar name already landed in the spotlight.
Jeremy Swayman checked in at No. 5 on the NHL Network’s top 10 goalies list, a sharp climb after he was left off the ranking a year ago. Going into the 2024-25 season, he was slotted at No.
- That placement fits what he put on the ice last season: a career-high 31 wins and a third-place finish in Vezina voting, behind only Andrei Vasilevskiy and Ilya Sorokin.
Swayman also appeared on the NHL Network during the selection show, where he fielded questions from Tony Luftman, Cory Schneider, and EJ Hradek.
The Bruins had another draft pick make the cut as well. Dan Vladar, taken by Boston in the third round in 2015, came in at No. 8.
Elsewhere around the league, the Panthers could be looking at a cheap forward option if Brad Marchand’s surgery keeps him sidelined. Florida does not have a timeline for Marchand’s recovery, and Patrik Laine is available and has ties to people in the organization.
In Detroit, Dylan Larkin’s summer trade request remains a talking point, but Bob Duff reports there will not be a holdout. Steve Yzerman’s departure does not change the timeline, and Larkin is expected to be at training camp. The issue, as framed there, is money.
The Red Wings also came up in another note from NHLTradeRumors.me, which revisited the last time Steven Stamkos reached free agency. Detroit was in position then, but Chris Ilitch was hesitant and Stamkos ended up in Nashville.
Sportsnet’s Emily Sadler looked at five teams dealing with different salary-cap approaches, with the Ducks needing to sort out Cutter Gauthier after Leo Carlsson’s offer sheet changed that market.
In Pittsburgh, Kyle Dubas’ first stretch as GM has produced plenty of movement. Dan Kingerski noted 91 contracts signed, including entry-level deals, and 50 trades since Dubas took over, and he highlighted the top five moves from that run.
And in Colorado, Alexandar Georgiev is still without a contract for next season. He returned home after terminating his Buffalo deal in November, then terminated his KHL contract in June, and remains unsigned in Russia or North America.
In Other News...
Bruins Face A Risky Casey Mittelstadt Decision Before The Season
Casey Mittelstadt has quickly become one of the more interesting talking points around the Bruins as the season approaches, and not necessarily in a simple good-news way. His fit in Boston has already drawn mixed reaction from fans, with some seeing a player who can help move the puck and others wondering whether he settles in as more of a possession piece than a true long-term answer in a demanding role.
The uncertainty around Mittelstadt is what makes the next decision feel so delicate for Boston. If the Bruins decide they need to move him, the market could be shaped by teams looking for skill down the middle and a fresh start for a player whose background still gives him some appeal, but the conversation only gets more complicated when the question becomes whether the team should wait or act before the season gets rolling. [Read more 🡒]
Another Former Bruins Goalie Is Fueling Boston's Draft Regret
Dan Vladar is the latest former Bruins goalie to make Bostons 2015 draft look a little worse in hindsight. Taken in the third round by the Bruins, Vladar has gone on to establish himself as a reliable NHL starter after leaving Boston, first getting moved to Calgary in 2022 and then finding a more permanent home in Philadelphia.
In 2025-26, Vladar was the Flyers No. 1 goalie and helped push them into the second round of the playoffs with a 29-14-7 record, a 2.42 goals-against average and a .906 save percentage. Philadelphia has already rewarded that season with a five-year extension, another sign that the Bruins may have given up on a goaltender who was still very much on the rise. [Read more 🡒]
Jeremy Swayman Just Raised The Stakes For Boston Next Season
Jeremy Swaymans bounce-back season did more than steady the Bruins in net, it reset the expectations around him heading into the next year. He finished 31-18-4 with a 2.71 goals-against average and a .908 save percentage, numbers that put him back in the conversation among the leagues better starters after a season that could have gone a different way.
The recognition followed, too, with a Vezina Trophy finalist nod and a fifth-place spot on NHL Networks top-10 goalie list going into 2026-27. Boston also enters the season with a new look behind him, after trading Joonas Korpisalo and clearing the backup job for Michael DiPietro, a setup that only sharpens the spotlight on Swayman if the Bruins are going to take another step. [Read more 🡒]