PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Jeremy Swayman is back in the AHL, and not satisfied with his assignment. He can point to his .928 save percentage over 26 NHL starts and make the case that the minors are not where he belongs.
“The situation is obviously not ideal,” Swayman said after his 19-save performance in Providence’s 5-1 win over Hartford on Friday. “But I’m going to make sure I’m getting better every day working on things I need to work on. I think I’m going to do that pretty well down here with this team.”
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There was no other place for Swayman to go but Providence. Tuukka Rask, the goalie with the second-best career save percentage in NHL history, signed his one-year, $1 million contract Tuesday. Two days later, Rask looked like “old Tuukka,” in coach Bruce Cassidy’s words, in the Bruins’ 3-2 win over Philadelphia.
Linus Ullmark, Swayman’s previous partner, is on a four-year, $20 million deal that includes no-move protection. Swayman is on his entry-level contract. He does not require waivers to report to Providence. He is ineligible to be placed on the taxi squad. Most NHL teams consider carrying three goalies to be cumbersome.
Logic, though, depends on your perspective. From Swayman’s point of view, there is only one place he belongs.
“Not ideal,” Swayman said when pressed for clarity, “because I want to be winning games at the NHL level with the Boston Bruins.”
Swayman is 23 years old. He is in a hurry to make his NHL stay permanent. His numbers say it’s where he should be.
Since Dec. 1, Swayman recorded a .933 save percentage for the Bruins over six starts. Only one other NHL goalie with six-plus appearances during this segment was better: Igor Shesterkin (.957), who is in the running for the Vezina Trophy. Swayman was finding his rhythm to a greater degree than in his 10 previous starts, when his save percentage was a pedestrian .908.
Pucks were sticking to him more regularly. He was tracking pucks, making reads and arriving at his spots.
Swayman even breezed through COVID-19 protocol. He was asymptomatic throughout his quarantine, which began Dec. 16. Swayman holed up in his Watertown apartment, practicing yoga and going through home workouts.
“A lot has to do with my teammates in front of me,” Swayman said. “They did a phenomenal job with me last year and this year. It’s been a great team effort. Obviously we had an upswing after COVID. It’s been a really fun process to be a part of.”
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All the while, Ullmark was also improving. He has a .927 save percentage over his past eight starts. It’s not as high as Swayman’s, but not as low as the .911 save percentage Ullmark carried over his first nine starts as a Bruin. At the same time, Rask was flying through every checkpoint on his comeback.
It should have occurred to Swayman, then, that his Providence ticket was being written regardless of how he was stopping pucks. But the Bruins like Swayman because he is committed to the blinders he wears that shield him from perimeter circumstances.
“I made sure I was focusing on the day at hand and whatever I could do to help the team win,” Swayman said. “(Rask’s) obviously a great addition to the team. I wasn’t worried about contract situations or anything when I got the chance to play. When I got the chance to practice and work out with the team, I was making sure I was bringing the energy, the positivity and everything it is to be a good pro.”
On Tuesday, the day Rask signed his contract, Swayman met with general manager Don Sweeney. Even if he knew it was coming, Swayman didn’t enjoy his GM’s news. In a way, Sweeney was OK with Swayman’s stance.
“He’s extremely motivated to be a top-flight goaltender, which we believe in. He knows that,” Sweeney said. “The commitment will be made to him. Part of it was this summer in trading a good young goaltender in Daniel Vladar and allowing Jeremy to play opening night, for that matter. He knows he’s a big part of our current team as well as moving forward. Most importantly, he’s got a hell of a long career ahead of him as a Boston Bruin.”
Swayman is living at the Residence Inn across the street from the Dunkin’ Donuts Center. Nobody knows whether it will be a long-term setup. Injuries or illness could strike at any time. Rask and Ullmark are two of six current Bruins who have yet to enter COVID-19 protocol.
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Swayman could even get his full-time chance next year. Rask is only signed through this season. He has not decided whether he will return.
So for now, Swayman is an AHLer. He wore No. 35 on Friday. His usual No. 1, the only number he’s ever worn as a pro and amateur, belongs to AHL partner Troy Grosenick. Selecting No. 35 was just a coincidence, not a stick tap to the number worn by Ullmark, his good friend and former creasemate.
Swayman was sharp against the Wolf Pack. The only puck that beat him was a last-second redirection by Austin Rueschhoff. Swayman got to handle the puck, which is one of his targeted areas of improvement.
“Wherever I’m at, I’m going to make sure I’m giving the team a chance to win,” Swayman said. “That’s all I care about, whether that’s in Providence or Boston. I’m going to do whatever I can on and off the ice to get a chance to win.”
Swayman has a history of taking jobs. In the USHL, he displaced Mikhail Berdin. At Maine, Swayman pushed aside Rob McGovern. As a first-year pro, Swayman advanced past Vladar. He then shoved Jaroslav Halak out of the backup position. The Bruins traded Vladar to Calgary. They let Halak walk.
This time, it happened to him. Swayman is of two minds. He’s not OK with it. He’s determined to make it temporary.
(Photo: Allan Dranberg / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
