It was going to be hard for Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman to eclipse Connor Hellebuyck as Team USA's goaltender at this year's Olympics. Swayman struggled last season, while Hellebuyck earned the Hart and Vezina Trophies, further cementing himself as the league's top goaltender. However, the stats suggest otherwise as the teams entered the break.
Hellebuyck finished the pre-Olympic portion of his schedule by allowing three or more goals in five consecutive games. He now owns a 2.79 goals-against average and a .900 save percentage. Swayman wasn't much better over his past five games, but he does have a 2.92 goals-against average and a .903 save percentage this season. Jake Oettinger is third in the Team USA goaltending race, with a .897 save percentage.
There isn't much of a gap between the goaltenders, but the onslaught that Swayman has been facing on a nightly basis doesn't help his raw numbers. It also shows that without the American goaltender, the Bruins wouldn't be anywhere near the playoff position they currently hold. Look no further than Swayman sitting fourth on Money Puck's rankings of the top goaltenders, owning a 16.2 goals saved above expected mark. Hellebuyck sits 20th on that list with 7.2, while Oettinger is 48th with -1.0.
Why is this relevant? Hellebuyck helped the USA within one goal of a gold medal at last year's 4 Nations Face-Off, and it's nearly a foregone conclusion that he'll be the team's starter. However, Mike Sullivan's comments on Sunday afternoon point to something different.
Mike Sullivan has a goaltending plan but declines to announce his starter.
— luke fox (@lukefoxjukebox) February 8, 2026
Connor Hellebuyck: “We’ll know soon enough.”
Sullivan says, “Performance matters.”
If performance truly does matter, then Swayman should be getting the first start. He is also the goaltender who won the USA its first World Championship in 92 years this past spring, posting a 1.69 goals-against average and a .921 save percentage.
Hellebuyck will likely get the first start based on merit, but Swayman will be waiting in the wings if the reigning Vezina winner falters as he has done all season. The Bruins' starter should get at least one game in the round robin portion, but the rest of Sullivan's plan isn't clear at this time.
Hellebuyck was occupying his own crease at Team USA's practice on Monday, with Swayman and Oettinger splitting the other net. That should point to the Winnipeg Jets' goaltender being Sullivan's choice. However, if Sullivan had listened to his own metrics, that shouldn't be the case.