Jeremy Swayman isn't quite at the same level as past Boston Bruins goaltenders... yet. The Bruins' goaltending room has been in great hands since the late 2000s, with the natural progression being Tim Thomas, then Tuukka Rask, then Linus Ullmark, and now Jeremy Swayman.
Swayman was able to spend some time with Rask before he retired, and Ullmark joined the team and took most of the starts early in his Bruins tenure. As we know, it turned into more of a partnership than a starter/backup situation, which likely wouldn't have happened if Swayman wasn't able to learn from Rask early in his NHL career.
It's an interesting line of progression. Rask learned from Thomas early in his career, when Thomas was winning a Vezina, Stanley Cup, and Conn Smythe trophy. Rask wasn't able to lead the team to a Stanley Cup, but he was a massive piece of the team that nearly won it again in 2013 and 2019.
The fanbase's opinion of Swayman has been a bit mixed since his holdout last preseason, but his play this season is quickly making him a fan favorite like the mentors before him. With comments like the one he made after Tuesday night's shutout against the Detroit Red Wings, it's easy to see why the fans are forgetting so quickly.
Swayman on whether or not he seeks out Tuukka Rask and/or Tim Thomas: “I do, yeah.”
— Jack Studley (@jackstudley13) January 14, 2026
“I couldn’t be luckier to have those two guys I can lean on. They’ve been to the top. They know the formula to be successful as a goalie for the Boston Bruins. I couldn’t be luckier to have… pic.twitter.com/UlQmfQMJYD
Last season was the first time in Swayman's career that he didn't have a save percentage above .914 or a goals-against average below 2.53. By the numbers, Swayman still hasn't fully regained his form from his past years in Boston, but it's a massive step in the right direction after last season's debacle.
Swayman will again attempt to follow in the footsteps of the goaltenders before him in February when he represents the USA at the Olympics. Thomas had just one appearance in 2010 for the USA, but Rask had a solid showing at the 2014 games, earning a 3-1-0 record.
The hope is that Swayman will have at least one Stanley Cup Final appearance to add to the goaltending legacy in Boston. While Thomas' tenure was a bit shorter, Rask had a long 15-year career with the Bruins. He has the most games played and wins in Bruins history. He is also tied with Thomas for the second-best save percentage in team history, with only Ullmark sitting ahead of them in a much more limited sample size.
If you're looking for Jeremy Swayman to backstop this team for the next decade, it'd be hard to find two better role models and mentors than Tim Thomas and Tuukka Rask.