The Boston Bruins are trying to sign Jeremy Swayman before the 2024-25 season. However, things have recently become heated between the two sides. Bruins executive Cam Neely put his goalie on blast in a public setting. This caused Swayman’s representative to release a counterstatement. It appears as if the two sides are at an impasse, which makes Boston’s latest move even more interesting.
The Bruins have claimed goalie Jiri Patera off waivers, the team confirmed on Wednesday. Patera comes over from the Vancouver Canucks organization. The 25-year-old had signed a two-year contract with Vancouver when NHL Free Agency opened on July 1, according to PuckPedia.
Patera spent the 2023-24 NHL season with the Vegas Golden Knights. He played six games for the 2023 Stanley Cup champions last year. However, his performances left something to be desired. Patera played to an .893 save percentage in six games while winning just one game.
How Bruins goaltending looks without Jeremy Swayman
The Jeremy Swayman contract situation has certainly thrown Boston’s plans out the window. The Bruins certainly believed they would have their young goalie signed by the beginning of training camp. However, that is obviously not the case, so the team has to work with what they have for the time being.
The Bruins have already announced Joonas Korpisalo as the starting goaltender for their season opener. Korpisalo came over in the offseason from the Ottawa Senators as part of the Linus Ullmark trade. Ullmark was traded, in part, to clear more cap space to sign Swayman.
Boston’s claim of Jiri Patera has created a training camp battle in goal. Patera heads to camp looking to win the backup job. However, it certainly won’t be handed to him. The team has liked what it’s seen from 26-year-old Brandon Bussi. Bussi has played the last two seasons with the Providence Bruins in the AHL.
This battle likely comes down to the performances in camp and on the ice. Both Patera and Bussi require waivers in order to head to the AHL this season. It is possible for both goaltenders to pass through waivers as the season begins. However, there is certainly a risk of either player being claimed by a team looking to add goaltending depth.
The Bruins begin their 2024-25 NHL season on October 8. Boston travels south for a clash with the defending Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers. It will certainly be intriguing to see how Korpisalo and the Bruins perform as the Jeremy Swayman contract saga looks likely to drag into the regular season.
