Whether or not he begins Tuesday or not, Swayman will probably be relied upon to be the clear No. 1 goalie for the Bruins for the primary time in his NHL profession. In every of the previous two seasons, he break up time with Linus Ullmark, who was traded to the Ottawa Senators in June, leaving Swayman because the full-time starter.
As soon as they signed him, that’s.
To have fun that signing, on the finish of the Bruins’ stretch Monday, the gamers on the ice began tapping their sticks. Swayman knew what was anticipated of him.
To the rhythmic banging of hockey sticks on ice, Swayman accomplished a full lap across the sheet on the Panthers’ follow facility. Not solely was it “the quickest lap I’ve ever clocked,” as Swayman put it, it was an official welcome again for the goalie.
It was simply one of many methods Swayman mentioned he has been “welcomed with open arms” by his teammates. That they had been preserving in shut contact with him in the course of the contract negotiations, with Swayman getting 2-3 calls a day from members of the Bruins.
His coach appreciated his return as properly.
“It was nice; he has a lot nice power,” Montgomery mentioned. “I assumed that that elevated the follow. I assumed he appeared sharp.”
It’s unclear if the potential for Swayman to begin was a little bit of gamesmanship in opposition to the Panthers, who’ve quickly change into a significant rival and are the defending Stanley Cup champions, or whether or not Swayman has a sensible probability to play Tuesday. Both approach, the Bruins are prepared for his debut, at any time when that comes.
“It’s good to have him again,” ahead David Pastrnak mentioned. “I’m certain it wasn’t a straightforward course of for him lacking out a lot, so it’s good to have him again.”
Swayman was all smiles Monday, the aid palpable — to have certainty, to have made his return to the ice along with his teammates.
“It’s a breath of contemporary air,” Swayman mentioned. “And I let you know what, it’s a tremendous factor to only perceive how many individuals would do something to be within the place I’m. I don’t take that calmly. I have fun it every single day. I really feel like I’m the luckiest human on the earth. And once more, to be within the place that I’m, the gratitude is simply pouring from in every single place.
“I do know precisely what sort of belief they’ve in me and the expectations they’ve of me. I’ve the identical, if no more, expectation of myself to carry out and let everybody know that they made the precise resolution.”
Pastrnak mentioned he didn’t discover out that Swayman had signed till the workforce was on the bus headed to the airport Sunday afternoon. However he, like the remainder of the Bruins, was blissful to see him on the airplane, blissful to see him at follow Monday, blissful to make him do this lap.
“He’s fairly quick, for a goalie,” Pastrnak mentioned. “I’m impressed.”
NHL.com impartial correspondent George Richards contributed to this report