Bruins might have to face tough decision about goalie rotation

Boston Bruins

“Korpi tried everything he possibly could, we just left him hanging a little bit. That’s just the way it is sometimes.”

Marco Sturm was candid on Saturday when asked of the decision to roll with Jeremy Swayman for a fourth consecutive start. 

“It was a big game for us, and we thought he would give us the best chance,” Sturm said after Boston’s shootout loss to the Canucks.

It’s hard to argue with the Bruins’ head coach’s logic. 

On a Bruins team that has largely exceeded expectations through the first few months of the 2025-26 season, it’s impossible to overlook the play of Swayman in net.

Boston’s underwhelming defensive metrics haven’t been fully exposed with Swayman standing as the Bruins’ last line of defense. 

The 27-year-old goalie’s .906 save percentage this year may not steal many headlines, but his 16.5 goals saved above expected (fourth among 83 qualified goalies this year, per MoneyPuck) paints the picture of a top-flight netminder who is keeping a floundering defensive team afloat.

At least, such is the hope when it comes to the Bruins’ knack for relying on Swayman to bail them out — night in and night out.

Sturm is right that Swayman does give the Bruins the “best chance” whenever he’s called upon for a start.

But overtaxing the Bruins’ top option in net stands as the easiest way for the Bruins’ promising returns this fall to completely splinter after the holidays. 

Barring any surprises, Swayman will once again get the call on Tuesday against the Canadiens — an Original Six showdown that David Pastrnak already deemed a “must-win” after Boston dropped four out of its last five games.

A stout showing from Swayman would be a welcome sight for the Bruins when it comes to stopping the bleeding and giving his club some good tidings ahead of a three-day break for the holidays.

But Tuesday would also represent the sixth time that Swayman will have played in the last 10 days — an unsustainable workload for even the sturdiest goalies in today’s NHL.

The Bruins can ill afford to burn one of their most valuable asset before the calendar even flips to 2026. 

But such is the hand dealt to Sturm and a Bruins team that is seemingly reaching an inflection point when it comes to the team’s current goaltending rotation between Swayman and Joonas Korpisalo.

The second-gusses that presented themselves when Sturm opted to roll with Swayman for four-straight games on Saturday were magnified the following night. 

Rather than save Swayman for a critical bout against a divisional foe in Ottawa on Sunday, Boston turned to Korpisalo in hopes of righting the ship against the Senators.

Or, at the very least, give Swayman a much-deserved respite ahead of Tuesday’s home game against the Habs. 

Instead, neither scenario played out for Boston. 

Korpisalo was ultimately pulled in the second period of Sunday’s 6-2 drubbing at the hands of Ottawa, with Sturm forced to put Swayman back in net once again. 

“I didn’t really want to do that,” Sturm said after Sunday’s loss. “Korpi tried everything he possibly could, we just left him hanging a little bit. That’s just the way it is sometimes.”

Korpisalo received the hook after surrendering five goals on 17 shots, with the veteran now sporting an .880 save percentage through 14 appearances. 

“You never want to get pulled,” he noted postgame.  “Doesn’t matter what happens. Today was one of those days. And obviously I’m not happy about how I played. You play well, I don’t think you get pulled.” 

The case can be made that Korpisalo hasn’t been aided by a Bruins defense that ranks dead last in the NHL with 2.92 expected goals against per 60 minutes of 5-on-5 play (per Natural Stat Trick). 

And after expressing a desire for more playing time in 2025-26, Korpisalo’s last start prior to Sunday’s game came all the way back on Dec. 11 against the Jets. 

It’s hardly an ideal situation for Korpisalo. 

But it also paints the picture of a Bruins goaltending situation where far too much is being put on Swayman’s shoulders — and little trust has been displayed by Boston’s coaching staff as far as prescribing heavier reps for a backup counting $3 million against the cap. 

Even with an encouraging stretch earlier this month where Korpisalo sported a .926 save percentage across back-to-back wins over the Blues and Jets, the 31-year-old’s overall numbers have left a lot to be desired — especially given his status of an expensive backup. 

While Swayman’s 16.5 goals saved above expected ranks fourth among a large pool of goalies, Korpisalo is currently operating at -4.6 goals saved above expected — 77th out of those 83 qualified netminders.

Something’s got to give when it comes to the Bruins’ goalie corps. Because Sturm can’t keep rolling out Swayman for three or four games in a row because of any sort of trepidation over Korpisalo’s play between the pipes. 

If a change is required, the Bruins don’t have to look very far for contingency plans. 

Both Michael DiPietro and Simon Zajicek have impressed down in Providence so far this season. DiPietro, 26, is currently dealing with an injury, but the reigning AHL Goaltender of the Year is sporting a .933 save percentage across 15 games this season with the P-Bruins.

Zajicek — a 24-year-old goalie signed out of the Czech Extraliga this past offseason — boasts a .934 save percentage through 12 games with Providence. 

Both DiPietro and Zajicek are unproven in the NHL ranks.

But can either perform better than the current .880 save percentage currently put forth by Korpisalo? If so, either would be a more affordable option for a Bruins team that is currently committing over $11 million in cap space to a goalie rotation that has left a lot to be desired this winter.

Turning to DiPietro or Zajicek after the NHL’s holiday roster freeze (Dec. 28) could be a potential option for the Bruins if they want to shake things up. It would require a painful decision involving placing Korpisalo on waivers, or trying to find a trade suitor for him. 

But as the Bruins continue to push Swayman further and further in hopes of staying afloat in a log-jammed Eastern Conference, this current arrangement between netminders is destined to burn Boston as the months carry on. 

 

Conor Ryan is a staff writer covering the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox for Boston.com, a role he has held since 2023.