The 2024-25 season is not far off. With free agency and development camps now finished, training camp is next, when we’ll see position battles and players fighting for roster spots.
For the most part, teams know what their roster will look like. The Boston Bruins improved their roster with key free agent signings Elias Lindholm and Nikita Zadorov. However, the team also saw key departures from goaltender Linus Ullmark and winger Jake DeBrusk, so the Bruins will look quite different from the 2023-24 season.
That’s not to say that this roster can’t deliver and there is plenty to preview for the 2024-25 Bruins. Last season, there were questions about the team’s depth at the center position and scoring. Here’s a look at Boston’s four key storylines heading into the 2024-25 season.
Can Jeremy Swayman Handle the Workload
The goalie hug is no longer a thing in Boston. After trading Ullmark to the Ottawa Senators, the crease officially belongs to Jeremy Swayman, and he deserves it. Last season, Swayman proved that his performance in 2022-23 was no fluke. He finished the regular season with a 2.53 goals-against average and a .916 save percentage. He also ranked fourth in goals saved above expected (18.4). While many anticipated that there would be a rotation during the playoffs, Swayman put that to bed with his standout performance.
Related: Bruins’ Defensive Pairs After Initial Free Agency Moves
The storyline regarding Swayman is not whether he can deliver but whether he can shoulder the heavier workload. Over the last two seasons, head coach Jim Montgomery has opted to rotate his goalies to keep them fresh, and the decision paid off. On any given night, Swayman and Ullmark gave the Bruins a chance to win, and the duo became the backbone of the team’s success. Now, it’ll be up to Swayman to shoulder the load.
The 2020-21 season was a small sample size for Swayman, with only ten starts. His numbers were respectable, and we got a glimpse of his potential. During the 2021-22 season, he started 39 games (an even split). In 2022-23, he missed time due to injury, and with Ullmark having a Vezina Trophy-winning campaign, he got fewer starts (33). However, Swayman had the most starts in his career (43) during the 2023-24 season and showed he could handle that type of workload. But now he may be asked to take on more.
During the team’s playoff run, Swayman made it clear he wanted to play. “Personally, I don’t want rest,” Swayman told…
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