Calder Memorial Trophy: Jeremy Swayman
Who was the Bruins’ best rookie this season? Well, our winner didn’t even make the roster out of training camp, but made a name for himself early in the season with the Providence Bruins in the American Hockey League (AHL), before bursting onto the second in Boston.
When Rask went down in March with an injury and when backup Jaroslav Halak followed shortly after with a COVID-19 shutdown, the Bruins turned to rookies Jeremy Swayman and Dan Vladar to hold down the fort until one of the veterans were able to get back on the ice.
Hold down the fort is exactly what Swayman did.
The former University of Maine standout went 7-3 with a very impressive 1.73 GAA and a .945 SV%. He had his first two career shutouts and allowed just 15 goals on 271 shots. He shut out the Islanders and New York Rangers, and he won all four of his starts at the TD Garden. He was a big reason why the Bruins were able to secure a playoff spot down the stretch with some key performances.
It’s no secret that there are a lot of questions surrounding the Bruins goaltending situation this summer, but the future looks bright with Swayman in the net, assuming he beats out Vladar. Is he ready to carry the load of an NHL season yet? Probably not, but there’s a lot of like about the potential of the future in the Bruins’ net.