If you were looking at the Boston Bruins last season, goaltending was a concern.

At the NHL level, inconsistency defined the year. The room changed in the offseason. The starter held out of training camp in search of a contract, and once he returned, his workload increased. 

While the Bruins were searching for stability in Boston, Providence found it. One of their netminders won the Aldege “Baz” Bastien Award as the league’s most outstanding goaltender, while the other earned an NHL contract and is no longer with the team.

The Bruins could not afford a down year from their goaltenders this season.

Instead, they have become one of the strongest organizations from top to bottom in terms of goaltending. 

The NHL tandem has carried its weight, both posting strong months in January. Now, both are gearing up for the Winter Olympics in Milan. The AHL group ranks high on the leaderboards, and two new additions have helped bolster the organization’s depth.

It starts at the top.

JEREMY SWAYMAN

The Boston Bruins had an issue last season. After holding out of training camp in search of a contract extension, Jeremy Swayman has bounced back to the goalie that Bruins fans remembered signing. 

Swayman’s numbers last season were not great; it was his first season without goaltending partner Linus Ullmark, and the workload increased. He finished with a 22-29-7 record in 58 appearances. He carried a 3.11 goals-against average (GAA) and .892 save percentage (SV%).

That has changed. Swayman has as many wins as he did last year, and he has appeared in 20 fewer games. He is 22-12-3 this season, with an improved 2.92 GAA and a .903 SV%. 

Marco Sturm has continued to trust his starting goaltender, and he praised Swayman’s play right after the holiday break.

“He’s finding his game right now,” Sturm said about Swayman. “We all feel it, that’s why I want to get him back. He just gives us the feeling and the big saves.”

Following that comment, Swayman posted a 7-2-1 record. He is now in Milan with the US Olympic team.

JOONAS KORPISALO

Last year, Joonas Korpisalo had a solid showing – he went 11-10-3, with three shutouts and a 2.90 GAA. After the season ended, Korpisalo made it clear that he wanted more playing time. It was not going to be given to him; he had to earn it. 

“I don’t think there’s any goalie in this league who is really comfortable playing 20-25 games,” Korpisalo said after the 2024-25 season. “I’m going to push for more games for sure. We’ll see what happens. I’ll do my best, and we’ll see.”

That he did. It started all the way back in October, when Korpisalo made 33 saves in a 5-2 win against the Islanders. Sturm praised his performance and, in turn, gave him his second straight start. 

So far, Korpisalo has made 22 appearances; last year, he had 27. The Bruins have 25 games remaining this season.

At the end of January, Marco Sturm mentioned that the “goalies were back to business.” 

He would be correct; along with Swayman’s 7-2-1 mark, Korpisalo has not lost in regulation since December 27. Since then, he has seven appearances, a 4-0-2 record, and that is coupled with a 2.20 GAA and a .947 SV%. 

Korpisalo will spend the Olympic break in Milan; he was named to Team Finland on Tuesday.

MICHAEL DIPIETRO

Michael DiPietro has been tearing up the AHL, again. Last year, he went 26-8-5, with a 2.05 GAA and a .927 SV%, and was recognized as the league’s most outstanding goaltender. 

Last summer, ESPN’s Kevin Weekes reported that DiPietro would draw interest if he were a free agent on July 1. Well, before then, he signed a two-year extension over the summer with a cap hit of $812,500. 

DiPietro appeared in two preseason games for the NHL side before being sent back to the AHL. 

Now, DiPietro leads the AHL in wins (20); he has a 1.62 GAA and a .943 SV% – somehow improving on his award-winning numbers from last season. Out of qualifying goalies (840 minutes), DiPietro’s GAA and SV% are the highest in the league. 

DiPietro was also named the AHL Goaltender of the Month for January. Just like the goalies with Boston, DiPietro had a strong turnout; he went 8-1-0 with a 1.33 GAA and a .947 SV%. 

He made 28 saves in Providence’s win on Friday night.

SIMON ZAJICEK 

Over the summer, the Bruins signed 24-year-old goaltender Simon Zajicek out of the Czech league. He had a 2.12 GAA and a .930 SV% with HC Litvinov last season; this season is his first in North America, and he is playing on a one-year entry-level deal.

He transitioned rather quickly.

Zajicek made the Providence roster out of training camp and excelled to start the season. He started out the campaign with a 10-1-1 run.

Zajicek missed time in January due to a lower-body injury. He returned on February 1, but left that game with a separate ankle injury. He is currently “week-to-week.”

Now, Zajicek is 11-3-1; he carries a 2.19 GAA and a .923 SV%. Out of qualified goalies, the Czech goaltender ranks fourth in GAA and SV%. 

In short, two Providence goalies rank in the top four for GAA and SV%. 

Also, for more on Zajicek, my friend and former colleague Kenny Kaminsky has a scouting report on the Czech netminder. Check out Kenny’s work on Dobber Prospects. 

LUKE CAVALLIN

While Zajicek was hurt, Luke Cavallin got the call. He is back with Providence as Zajicek recovers from his injury. 

Cavallin was also signed to a one-year entry-level contract this summer; he was a free agent who spent last year with Montreal’s organization. He was the MVP of the ECHL Kelly Cup Final, which he won with the Trois-Rivieres Lions last season. 

He has spent time with both Maine and Providence this season. 

He has stepped in three times for Providence, with the most recent coming on January 24. He is 3-0-0 with a 1.95 GAA and .931 SV% in the AHL. 

With the Mariners (ECHL), he is 12-7-3 with a 2.47 GAA and a .914 SV% – he started the season with an 8-3-1 record, a 1.89 GAA, and a .933 SV%. 

Although Brandon Bussi has jump-started his NHL career elsewhere (claimed on waivers by the Hurricanes), the Bruins’ goaltending depth is still a central part of the team’s success. 

From top to bottom, the Bruins’ goaltending room has been a consistent backbone of the team this season. With both the NHL and AHL clubs in the playoff picture, depth in net remains one of Boston’s most reliable pillars.