Should the Bruins keep both Ullmark and Swayman?

By Charlie Taft

Analyzing the benefits and consequences of employing two-star goalies in the NHL

At hockey games, the fans usually stampede out of the stadium to beat the traffic once the buzzer sounds, but not at TD Garden. The supporters stay. The speakers blast the iconic song Dirty Waters by the Standells to commemorate the Bruins' victory. As the Bruins go through their victory line, each player congratulating the other on their win, the fans await their favorite moment: the goalie hug. Between Jeremey Swayman and Linus Ullmark, their celebratory hug has become a staple for Bruins fans over the past two years.

Ullmark and Swayman hugging after yet another victory.

In the 2023-24 Regular Season, the Bruins’ goalie tandem propelled them to one of the best records in the NHL. The Bruins finished with 109 points, finishing second in the Atlantic Conference. Although the Bruins have an explosive offense, their goalie tandem carried them through the regular season with the second-highest save percentage of .925 and the fifth-best goals against per game of 2.55. The goalies, Swayman and Ullmark performed almost identically. They both played in over forty games and each had over twenty-two wins with a nearly identical save percentage. The only distinction between the two goalies is Swayman’s all-star selection, while Ullmark stayed in Boston, due to Swayman’s elite performance at the start of the season. The Bruins utilized their goalie duo by switching the starter for every game. Although this might restrict each goalie from going on a hot streak during the regular season, it also gives the goalies lots of rest, a luxury in a long and tiring season. But the regular season is different from the playoffs.

In the playoffs, most teams only use their starting goalie, hoping that the goalie can find their rhythm and propel their team to a Stanley Cup. Although the Bruins have two elite-caliber goalies, in the first round of the playoffs, against the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Bruins changed their strategy. For the first two games, the Bruins rotated through their goalies, but after losing the second game, they decided to stick with Swayman for the third game, and the rest of the series. This difficult decision proved essential in the Bruins' series win, where Swayman maintained a .958 save percentage and objectively was the Bruins’ most valuable player, while Ullmark sat on the bench.

In the future, after the playoffs, the Bruins will have to make a hard decision. Swayman, aged twenty-five, will be a restricted free agent this summer. On the other hand, Ullmark, who is thirty years old, is signed through next year on a five-million-dollar contract. Due to Swayman’s playoff performance, it is highly unlikely that the Bruins won’t re-sign him, but what should they do with Ullmark? Although he is getting older, he is still a great goalie - as he received the Vezina Trophy, given to the best goalie in hockey, only last year. So, the Bruins have two options, trade him and try to get a high-end forward, or keep him and allow the iconic goalie hug to continue.