Bruins Goalie Must Now Live Up to Mega Contract

The Boston Bruins and goaltender Jeremy Swayman are hoping to hoist a Stanley Cup over the course of his new eight-year contract.

Apr 24, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Boston Bruins goaltender Linus Ullmark (right) congratulates goaltender Jeremy Swayman (1) on a win over the Toronto Maple Leafs in game three of the first round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images / John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images

Now that the standoff between the Boston Bruins and goaltender Jeremy Swayman is over, both sides can focus solely on the imminent season. Swayman is now on the books for $66 million over the next eight seasons with Boston, and the organization has championship expectations and ambitions resting on the shoulders of their 25-year-old netminder.

The Bruins made several aggressive moves this summer to improve their team. They brought in center Elias Lindholm to add another top-six forward and gave defender Nikita Zadorov huge money to bring a physical edge to their defensive group. But neither of those moves are as important to their team's success this season or in the future as inking Swayman to an eight-year, $66 million deal.

With this new deal, Swayman has everything to prove. His talent in net is unquestioned. Over 132 career NHL games, he has an imposing record of 79-33-15. And it's not just because he plays behind the Boston defense, as evidenced by a career 2.34 goals against average.

But this season is the first year Swayman won't have Linus Ullmark to share the net with. He and Ullmark pushed one another and were very close off the ice, but they also covered each others' flaws on the ice. If one struggled, the other one picked up the slack. That tandem was tops in the NHL for the past three seasons, but now the net and slack in Boston belongs solely to Swayman.

That's what comes with signing a massive extension like Swayman did. He's now the fourth-highest paid goaltender in the NHL, trailing only Stanley Cup winners Sergei Bobrovsky of the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning net minder Andrei Vasilevskiy and two-time Vezina Trophy winner Connor Hellebuyck of the Winnipeg Jets. It's not just an incredible list, it's elite company.

And it's where Swayman must rise to in order to make this massive extension worth it for the Bruins. They have the offense, their defense is deep and balanced, and their all-star goaltender has his new contract finalized. Swayman now has to hold up his end of the bargain and help the Bruins capture a Stanley Cup. The clock is ticking, he has just eight years left.

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