by Jeremy Swayman and the Boston Bruins did not have a good 2024–25 season.
Boston finished the season with a 33-39-10 record and a minus-50 goal difference, after missing the playoffs for eight consecutive seasons.
Although the Bruins’ problems from the previous season were largely caused by injury, Boston was also hampered by significant declines from a number of important players, most notably Jeremy Swayman.
Just before the regular season began, Swayman signed an eight-year, $66 million contract, finally resolving a protracted contract holdout. After Linus Ullmark was traded in the winter, Swayman was expected to improve as Boston’s undisputed number one goalie.
However, Swayman found it difficult to maintain that momentum into his first season as the Bruins’ franchise goalie after leading Boston to a playoff series victory against Toronto in April 2024.
After finishing the 2024–25 season with a.892 save percentage, Swayman had a career.919 save percentage in his first four seasons with Boston (which included a.933 save percentage in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs).
Last season, Boston’s defense was heavily tested, particularly when Charlie McAvoy and Hampus Lindholm suffered season-ending injuries. Swayman, who ranks 63rd out of 73 eligible goalies (10 games played) with a -9.1 goals saved over projected, was still unable to save his side in crucial situations, according to MoneyPuck.
Nobody on the Bruins roster, particularly Swayman, had anticipated this season.
On Monday’s WEEI/NESN Jimmy Fund Radio-Telethon, Swayman stated, “There were ups and downs last year and I took it to heart,” as Lauren Campbell of MassLive recounted. I’m not fond of losing. I hold myself to the standard that I dislike missing the playoffs.
Swayman admitted that it was sometimes difficult to stay level-headed during a season when momentum was hard to come by, although holding himself responsible for his decline in play after the 2024–25 season concluded.
Throughout the 2024–25 season, the Bruins only had one run of three or more consecutive victories.
“I wanted to make sure that if I was down, I was getting up, falling forward, and doing everything I could to support my teammates and my team,” Swayman stated. You are unable to duplicate that. Target does not carry it.
The Original Six team suffered greatly as a result of the Bruins’ 2024–25 mistakes, as Boston ended up dealing away important players like Brad Marchand, Charlie Coyle, Brandon Carlo, and others during a massive roster purge in March.
With David Pastrnak, McAvoy, and Swayman now headlining a revamped roster that should be adding a lot of youth to the depth chart going ahead, the Bruins will be starting from fresh in 2025–2026.
Despite how agonizing the previous season was for everyone, Swayman thinks the growth pains he went through in 2024–25 will improve him as a player.
According to Campbell, Swayman stated, “That was a huge learning curve for me, and you have to experience it in order to go through that.” Having it makes me incredibly thankful. I’ll tell you what, though: I consider myself fortunate to have had the unwavering faith of my teammates, my family, and the city during that ordeal.
Both the Bruins and Swayman would benefit from a fresh start, particularly since the bitter contract dispute from the previous offseason.
In addition, the 26-year-old goalie has significant momentum going into the 2025–26 season, particularly after finishing 7–0 with a.921 save percentage in the international competition in May and helping Team USA win its first Worlds title in 92 years.
“Given the year I had, I’m really happy to be at this tournament,” Swayman remarked following Team USA’s victory in Sweden, as reported by The Hockey News. I feel like a whole different goaltender and a very different person. It’s been a contagious locker room of enthusiasm, and the guys in this room have been amazing for simply supporting me. I simply feel like a whole different person.
Since 2023, Conor Ryan has worked as a staff writer for Boston.com, covering the Boston Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox.
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