Going into the 2023-24 season, Jeremy Swayman did not know what his job was going to look like. Was he going to be a backup again? Was he going to get to start? Little did he know exactly what the 2023-24 season had in store for him.
From the get-go, head coach Jim Montgomery tried to instill confidence in both him and Linus UIlmark that they would both get some playing time throughout the season. However, it was Swayman who really caught fire and got his feet (or skates in this case) under him first.
Swayman had his bout with injuries here and there, but he fought tooth and nail to keep his spot atop the depth chart. And boy did the work pay off for the former University of Maine product.
Swayman's regular season stats
The first thing to mention before anything else is that Swayman, like Ullmark the year before him, was named to the All-Star team. In the game, he allowed two goals on 11 shots on goal.
During the regular season, Swayman set himself apart from the pack playing in 44 games (starting in 43). He won a career-high 25 games, while compiling it with 10 regulation losses and eight overtime losses.
He held a Goals Against Average of 2.53 and Save Percentage of .916. He set a career-high for ice time with 2656:51.
Swayman had some ups and downs throughout the season, but he had his best game in February against the Dallas Stars where he made 43 saves on 46 shots en route to a shootout victory.
Swayman's postseason stats
In the postseason, Swayman showed the team exactly why he was the right choice to keep in net.
Throughout the postseason, he won six games in net, and racked up a Save Percentage of .933 and Goals Against Average of 2.15. While the numbers look great, he didn't get the goal support in front of him, and would end up losing some close games.
Perhaps his best game came in Game 1 against the Panthers, where he stacked the pads and allowed just one goal on 39 shots on net.
Overall assessment
Overall, Swayman set personal records, and played himself into a starter's role going into the 2024-25 season. He's even slowly, but surely, pushing Ullmark out the door.
As of the writing of this article, he remains unsigned by the Bruins, but don't be surprised if he is signed the day free agency opens. Boston won't let him walk into arbitration with at least a reasonable offer.