Jeremy Swayman’s stock has climbed fast, and NHL Network is buying in.
After a bounce-back season that put him back among the league’s best, the Bruins netminder checked in at No. 5 on NHL Network’s top-10 goalie rankings heading into the 2026-27 season. A year ago, that list didn’t include him at all. This time, his name landed squarely near the top after he re-established himself as a major force in Boston’s crease.
Swayman’s season gave the Bruins exactly what they needed from a player facing a prove-it year. He finished 31-18-4 with a 2.71 goals-against average and a .908 save percentage, becoming the 14th goalie in franchise history to post a 30-win season.
That performance also earned him a spot as a Vezina Trophy finalist, alongside Andrei Vasilevskiy of the Tampa Bay Lightning and Ilya Sorokin of the New York Islanders. Vasilevskiy won the award in a runaway.
Even without the hardware, Swayman showed he was worth the contract he signed the year before, a deal carrying an average annual value of $8.25 million.
His work didn’t stop in the regular season. In Boston’s first-round playoff series against the Buffalo Sabres, Swayman was even sharper.
The Bruins pushed that series to six games, and the goalie was a major reason it lasted that long. He posted a 2.91 GAA and a .906 save percentage, was pulled after being hung out to dry in Game 4 at TD Garden, and let his teammates hear it as he headed to the bench.
Boston answered two nights later with a Game 5 overtime win in Western New York, with Swayman delivering some big saves along the way.
With Joonas Korpisalo traded to the New York Rangers this offseason, general manager Don Sweeney opened the door for Michael DiPietro to serve as Swayman’s backup this season. If the Bruins are going to get back to the postseason, they’ll need another big year from No. 1 in goal.
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Another Former Bruins Goalie Is Fueling Boston's Draft Regret
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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 🡒]
