The Boston Bruins’ trade of Linus Ullmark to the Ottawa Senators has raised many questions about the team’s goalie situation. While Boston acquired Joonas Korpisalo in the deal, he was statistically one of the NHL’s worst goalies in the 2023-24 season.
Brandon Bussi has performed well in Providence but has yet to play in an NHL game. Regarding who will back up Jeremy Swayman next season, General Manager Don Sweeney has kept all options open.
“I don’t want to lose sight of Brandon in the sense that he’s paid his dues,” Sweeney told reporters in Las Vegas ahead of the 2024 NHL Draft. “He wants an opportunity in the National Hockey League. If he beats out Joonas, then we’ll have to give him the opportunity.
“Joonas has obviously played at a high level and been a starter,” Sweeney added. “The ability to complement Jeremy, to be able to push Jeremy and want the net himself, creates a good competitive atmosphere. It’s what Jeremy has been used to since he’s been in the National Hockey League, and he’s earned everything that’s come his way.”
Bussi signed a one-year, two-way contract with the Bruins earlier this month, carrying a cap hit of $775,000. Korpisalo, on the other hand, has four years remaining on his contract with a $3 million cap hit.
Swayman is set to be the team’s No. 1 goalie and will likely take on a bigger workload next year. Sweeney mentioned that Swayman would like to play upwards of 50 games, depending on how much his backup can handle.
The backup position appears to be Korpisalo’s to lose, with a goalie competition set to begin in training camp.
“Well, it’ll start right in training camp and depend on the condition that [Bussi’s] in. He’ll obviously play exhibition games. And his body of work will suggest whether or not — as it will with Joonas — in terms of where he’s at,” Sweeney said. “It’s a competitive industry. It’s no different than some of the hard decisions we made last year when Johnny Beecher and Matty Poitras came up and played very well, forcing us to make tough decisions. That’s part of the game. That’s internal competition you hope for. And I think Brandon will be geared to do that.”
Swayman made significant progress last season, becoming the Bruins’ go-to goalie during their playoff run, playing all but one game before Boston was eliminated by the Florida Panthers in the second round.
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