When it came to decisions once free agency opened in the summer of 2025, Boston Bruins general manager Don Sweeney faced some tough ones when it came to some of his prospects. One of those decisions was who he was going to re-sign when it came to his young goalies and who he was going to let walk.
In the end, he re-signed Michael DPietro and let Brandon Bussi test free agency. Bussi signed with the Florida Panthers, but right before the season began, he was placed on waivers and claimed by the Carolina Hurricanes. What a decision that turned out to be for Bussi and the Hurricanes.
Bussi played in nearly half of Carolina's games as injuries between the pipes began to mount; he quickly became a staple for coach Rod Brind'Amour. He ended up having a tremendous season and finished it up with a sterling performance in the Stanley Cup Final against the Vegas Golden Knights. When the dust settled, Bussi was a huge reason why Carolina won the Cup in six games. Going into next season, he is primed for a huge step forward.
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After being claimed by Carolina, Bussi went 31-6-2 with a 2.47 goals-against average, a .895 save percentage, and a pair of shutouts. When the playoffs rolled around, veteran Frederik Andersen was the starter, but things changed in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final. Bussi came on in relief and went 3-1-0 with a 1.60 GAA and a .931 SV% as the Hurricanes raised the Cup in Las Vegas in June.
Now the question going forward is whether or not Bussi can become the guy in Raleigh. Andersen left in free agency for the Edmonton Oilers, and Bussi and Pyotr Kochetkov are figured to be the two netminders for the defending champs. All signs would point to Bussi being the guy that gets the nod once the season begins in late September, but that remains to be seen.
As for the Bruins, Sweeney has traded Joonas Korpisalo to the New York Rangers, and that opens the door for Michael DiPietro to be Jeremy Swayman's backup. Is he ready for the job? Maybe, but the Bruins will need him to be. If not, then letting Bussi walk might be a decision that could come back to haunt the Black and Gold down the line. This could end up being a major whiff on Sweeney's part.
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