Sweeney notes that at this stage of camp, it might be “unlikely” that Swayman would be ready to go for Boston’s season opener. Montgomery adds on Korpisalo: “Right now he’s going to be our Game 1 starter.”
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NHL Notebook: Public barbs between Jeremy Swayman, Bruins cloud future in Beantown
Photo credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 30, 2024, 22:00 EDTUpdated: Sep 30, 2024, 23:51 EDT
The Boston Bruins goaltending situation is interesting, to say the least.
In Monday’s edition of the NHL Notebook, we’ll look at what’s going on between the pipes of the Boston Bruins. Moreover, another New York Rangers player suffered an injury, while a prospect for the Calgary Flames signed his entry-level contract.
Let’s dig in!
Drama in Boston
It was reported by multiple sources that Boston Bruins head coach Jim Montogmery will start Jonas Korpisalo between the pipes in the Bruins’ home opener.
The Bruins acquired Korpisalo from the Ottawa Senators in late June, sending 2022-23 Vezina Trophy-winning netminder Linus Ullmark to the Nation’s capital in return. Korpisalo is seen to be the team’s backup netminder, but netminder Jeremy Swayman is currently holding out on a contract as he’s a restricted free agent.
In the same press conference, Bruins president Cam Neely said, “I have 64 million reasons why I’d be playing right now” regarding Swayman.
“I have 64 million reasons why I’d be playing right now,” Cam Neely on Swayman.
Despite his .890 save percentage and 3.27 goals-against average in 55 games last season with the Senators, Korpisalo isn’t a bad netminder by any means. The season prior with the Columbus Blue Jackets and Los Angeles Kings, the Finnish netminder had a .914 save percentage and a 2.87 goals-against average in 39 games played.
However, Korpisalo isn’t to the same standard as Jeremy Swayman, who has been terrific since entering the league. Becoming a regular in 2021-22, the Alaska native posted a .914 save percentage and a 2.41 goals-against average in 41 games played. In 2022-23, Swayman won the William M. Jennings Trophy alongside Ullmark, as he had a .920 save percentage and a 2.27 goals-against average in 37 games played.
Most recently, Swayman had a .916 save percentage and a 2.53 goals-against average in 44 games played, finishing the 2023-24 season with a 25-10-8 record.
Swayman’s agent Lewis Gross released a statement Tuesday night, noting that the Bruins never went as high as $64 million in negotiations and that “[Gross and Swayman] will take a few days to discuss where [they] go from here.”
We’ll see how long it takes for the Bruins to sign the restricted free agent. All restricted free agents must sign by Dec. 1 or they’re ineligible to play the remainder of the season. If it gets to the point that the netminder asks for a trade, which Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman speculated about Monday, the Oilers should be all over that.
Another Rangers injury
There is another New York Rangers player injured, as Jimmy Vesey is reportedly out a few weeks with a lower-body injury.
Vesey out for “a few weeks” with lower body issue, per Laviolette.
Veasy, 31, is a depth forward for the Rangers, scoring 13 goals and 26 points in 80 games for the 2023-24 Presidents’ Trophy winning team. For his career, he has 96 goals and 186 points in 583 games, playing for the Rangers (two stints), Buffalo Sabres, Toronto Maple Leafs, Vancouver Canucks, and New Jersey Devils.
So far this preseason, the Rangers have had a long list of players who have suffered injuries. Last Tuesday, star forward Artemi Panarin suffered a lower-body injury and was briefly listed as day-to-day, but appears to be good to go despite not playing since.
In the same game, Filip Chytil was hit hard in the open ice and appeared to be injured, but later returned. One player who didn’t return and is listed week-to-week is defenceman Ryan Lindgren, who suffered an upper-body injury in an ensuing fight after the hit.
Flames sign 2024 draftee Andrew Basha to entry-level deal
The Edmonton Oilers’ provincial rival, the Calgary Flames, signed 2024 second-round pick Andrew Basha to his three-year entry-level contract on Monday.
It's pen to paper for the Calgary kid! We have signed forward Andrew Basha to a three-year entry-level contract: cflam.es/3ZKECEG #Flames | @original16beer
Last season with the Western Hockey League’s Medicine Hat Tigers, Basha scored a career-high 30 goals and 85 points in 63 games, along with three goals and five points in the postseason. This led to the Flames picking the left winger 41st overall in the most recent draft. Since rejoining the Tigers, Basha has a goal and an assists in two games.
The Flames are currently in the midst of a rebuild, trading away Noah Hanifin, Chris Tanev, and Elias Lindholm before the 2024 trade deadline, along with netminder Jacob Markström in the off-season.
With that being said, the 2024 draft was a good start to their rebuild, picking right-shot defenceman Zayne Parekh with the ninth-overall pick, as well as the likes of Matvei Gridin, Basha, Jacob Battaglia, Henry Mews, and Luke Misa. There’s a chance that in a few seasons, we’ll look back at this draft for the Flames as one of their best in franchise history.
However, the team is still quite a few years away from contending once again.
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