It’s been a long time since the Bruins have had to give much thought to the future of the goaltending position -- well over a decade, in fact.
Even when Tim Thomas’ days in Boston were coming to an end in 2012, the Bruins knew they had Tuukka Rask ready to take over. He already had years of NHL experience at that point, including a 2009-10 season in which he usurped Thomas as the starter down the stretch and into the playoffs.
Since then, Rask being the team’s No. 1 goalie has been a given. Despite some of his critics calling for him to be traded seemingly every year, the Bruins have never given in to such hysterics, instead recognizing and appreciating the fact that they’ve had one of the best goalies in the league.
There haven’t even been questions or concerns about the backup goalie job in recent years, as Jaroslav Halak has settled in as the perfect complement to Rask for the last three years.
Nothing lasts forever, though, and it might be time to actually start giving some serious thought to the possibility of real change in the Bruins’ net.
Rask is 34. Halak is 35. Both are unrestricted free agents after the season. Neither is healthy right now.
Rask has played just one period over the last month while dealing with a lingering upper-body injury. He did travel with the team on its current road trip and could return later this week, but nothing is set in stone yet.
Halak entered COVID-19 protocol on Monday due to a positive test. There has been no further word on his subsequent testing -- i.e. whether it may have been a false positive -- so there is currently no timeline for his return.
Most teams would be in big trouble if they were down to their third- and fourth-string goalies in the middle of a playoff race. The Bruins, however, are still getting very good goaltending.
Dan Vladar has a .922 save percentage and 2.25 goals-against average in four starts this season -- the first four of his NHL career -- and has gone 2-1-1 in those games.
On Tuesday night, Jeremy Swayman stopped 40 of the 42 shots he faced in an impressive NHL debut, helping to lead the Bruins to a 4-2 win over the Flyers.
Vladar, 23, and Swayman, 22, have both looked poised and capable of meeting the challenge. They have both been fundamentally sound, they have both challenged shooters, and they have both shown off some athleticism and good reflexes too.
“He was great. Really happy for him,” Patrice Bergeron said of Swayman’s first win. “Well deserved win. He was battling all night. He gave us a true chance to win, especially in that second period. And yeah, you’re right -- that poise was evident from the get-go, from the way he prepared in the locker room. He looked ready, he looked calm, and he was the same way on the ice. Good for him, and hopefully many more to come.”
It’s that “many more to come” where things get interesting. Vladar and Swayman certainly look like the Bruins’ future at the position, with Swayman possessing the higher No. 1 goalie upside and Vladar projecting maybe more as a 1A or a backup.
Vladar’s resume with AHL Providence is impressive, including leading the league with a .936 save percentage last season. Swayman had three great seasons at the University of Maine, including a 2019-20 campaign that won him the Mike Richter Award as college hockey’s top goalie and earned him a finalist nod for the Hobey Baker Award as the country’s top player. Then he arrived in Providence this season and came flying out of the gate with an 8-1-0 record and .933 save percentage.
But when and how the transition away from the veterans and to the youth takes place remains to be seen. The Bruins’ preference may have been -- and may still be -- to turn things over one at a time, moving on from one of the veterans after this season and giving a regular NHL job to whichever youngster is closer to being ready.
There is an important complication there, though, and that’s the Seattle Kraken expansion draft that will take place after this season. The Bruins can only protect one goalie and must expose at least one. They don’t have to worry about Swayman since he’s a first-year pro, so that at least makes it a little less complicated.
If the Bruins were to sign Rask or Halak to an extension before the end of the season, they would then need to protect that goalie and expose Vladar. It seems unlikely they’ll go down that path. The more likely choice is that they protect Vladar and let both Rask and Halak reach free agency. They could then make a qualifying offer to practice-squad/AHL goalie Callum Booth and have him be the one exposed goalie.
Of course, letting Rask and Halak get to free agency means you risk them signing elsewhere even if you want to bring one of them back (although Rask has stated publicly that he doesn’t want to play for any other team).
Then there’s this little bit of chatter that has emerged recently about the Bruins poking around the goalie trade market. The Athletic’s Fluto Shinzawa hinted at it a couple days ago, and The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta said it outright, adding that there’s also been talk this could be Rask’s final NHL season.
If there’s any truth to the rumors the Bruins might be considering trading for a goalie, it could potentially mean a short-term fix to offset health concerns around Rask and Halak, or a longer-term option to pair with Vladar or Swayman.
It still doesn’t seem too likely that the Bruins would completely turn the net over to Swayman and Vladar next season, but… it’s not like they’ve looked overwhelmed or out of place either. Maybe we shouldn’t rule that out. Heck, maybe we shouldn't rule out them forcing their way into more playing time this season either.
With both carrying cap hits of under $1 million for the next couple years, having one, or especially both, in the NHL plans next season would afford the Bruins some significant financial flexibility to add to the team elsewhere.
Regardless of how things play out the rest of this season and into the offseason, these are certainly conversations we’re not used to having when it comes to the Bruins’ goaltending. Change is coming. It's just not clear exactly when or how yet.