It's no secret that Jeremy Swayman didn't make a great first impression on his long-term contract extension. The Boston Bruins' new starter needed to play well once his holdout ended to get back in the good graces of the fanbase, but things didn't go well. It wasn't all Swayman's fault for the Bruins' fall to the bottom of the standings last season, but he certainly didn't play up to the value of his contract.
Swayman is already ahead of last year's preparation as he was on the ice for the first day of Captain's Practice. He missed all of training camp last season and wasn't the starter on opening night when the Bruins faced the Florida Panthers. It started the season off on the wrong foot and the Bruins' goaltending room couldn't recover.
If you had watched Amazon's Inside the NHL show two seasons ago, Swayman's main motivating factor was the Bruins' reluctance to sign him to a long-term extension the year before and the subsequent arbitration hearings. Last season seemed like he lost that edge after signing the deal and couldn't bring the same underdog mindset every night.
The question for the 2025-26 season is whether Swayman can take last season's results and form it into some new motivation. If you choose to listen to his comments coming out of Captain's Practice, it might be time to believe that the starter's bounceback is coming this season.
Jeremy Swayman on what he worked on and changed with his offseason training: "Everything."
— Conor Ryan (@ConorRyan_93) September 4, 2025
Jeremy Swayman on where he’s at this year when compared to last fall:
— Conor Ryan (@ConorRyan_93) September 4, 2025
“I’m a completely different human being. … Sitting here, Jeremy Swayman is in a great spot. And I’m really excited about that.”
Should Bruins fans believe Swayman? It's hard to forget how good he was before last season, but recency bias does play a role. If you take away the disdain from his holdout, you have to believe that he will be better this season, albeit with limited expectations considering the team that is in front of him.
The Bruins' path to the playoffs will be dominant defensive performances and low-scoring games. If Swayman plays a part in that and gets the Bruins to a shocking playoff appearance, the memory of the holdout will be nearly eliminated from fans' minds.
Do I believe Swayman? I think this is the year that Swayman takes control of the crease and re-inserts himself into the conversation as one of the league's top goaltenders. You have to exercise some optimism going into the season, and Swayman returning to form is the only way that happens.