The 2023-24 season is here, and the Boston Bruins are entering the campaign with mixed expectations from their fans. Some feel that they are still a playoff-caliber club, while others believe that they will fall off because of their many notable offseason subtractions. For them to have success, they are going to need Linus Ullmark and Jeremy Swayman to continue to be one of the NHL’s top goalie tandems. When looking at how well they did last year, one could even argue that they each have the potential to win the Vezina Trophy in 2023-24. Let’s go over why now.
Why Ullmark Could Win the Vezina Again
Naturally, many are not expecting Linus Ullmark to replicate his historic 2022-23 regular season. This is especially the case after how last postseason went. Expecting Ullmark to put up one of the best NHL seasons by a goalie again is a tall ask, but even with this being the case, we should not rule out the possibility of him winning the Vezina Trophy in 2023-24.
Last year’s regular-season stats alone show that Ullmark can be a real difference-maker. In 49 appearances, he had a 40-6-1 record, a 1.89 goals-against average (GAA), and a .938 save percentage (SV%). While expecting him to have ridiculous numbers like these again may be a bit unrealistic, the potential for him to have, say, a .925 SV% and a 2.10 GAA is there. Numbers like that would warrant Vezina Trophy consideration, especially if the Bruins have regular-season success again in 2023-24.
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Ullmark started the 2023-24 season off with a spectacular start, saving 20 out of 21 shots against the Chicago Blackhawks. Although Chicago’s shot totals were fairly low, their scoring chances were quite dangerous, and this was especially the case when Connor Bedard had the puck. However, Ullmark showed signs of last season’s form, making several wonderful stops and staying calm and collected in the process. If this is something we can continue to see from him moving forward, we could see another excellent season from the 30-year-old.
Why Swayman Has Vezina Trophy Potential
Although Ullmark understandably received a ton of attention last season for his play, Swayman was quite good himself and played a big role in their William M. Jennings Trophy win. The Alaska native sported a 24-6-4 record, a 2.27 GAA, and a .920 SV%. Both his SV% and his GAA were the fourth-best in the NHL, so he was clearly one of the league’s top goaltenders in 2022-23. When looking at his resume thus far, there is plenty of reason to believe that he can have another season like this again.
In fact, I’d argue that Swayman has the potential to improve even further in 2023-24. Although he has emerged as one of the NHL’s top goalies, it is important to note that he is entering only his fourth NHL season and is still only 24 years old. Another year of experience could be enough for Swayman to take that next step and join the NHL’s elite goaltenders.
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At the time of this writing, Swayman has yet to make his first appearance of the 2023-24 season. It will be interesting to see how well he performs, but when noting that he has been nothing but stellar during the regular season, it would not be surprising if he hits new levels of success in 2023-24.
Bruins Are Lucky to Have Ullmark/Swayman Tandem
In the end, the Bruins are quite fortunate to be rolling with Ullmark and Swayman as their one-two punch yet again this season. Although there was trade talk centering around Ullmark during the summer, the Bruins should benefit from having both him and Swayman this season. The Bruins are going to need these two to play at their best levels to make up for their talent lost on offense, but when looking at how they performed last regular season, it is hard not to feel confident in their abilities.
Not too many teams have two goalies with Vezina Trophy potential on their rosters, and it is why the Bruins arguably have the top tandem in the league right now. However, promise or not, these two will now need to show the NHL that they can continue to play at excellent levels.
It will be fun to see if either Ullmark or Swayman end up snagging the Vezina Trophy this season. When noting that Ullmark has already done it and Swayman was one of the NHL’s best last season and has room for growth, it would not be surprising.
