The 2024-25 season did not play out the way Jeremy Swayman and the Boston Bruins had hoped.
A lengthy contract dispute was not resolved until October 6, just two days prior to the start of the regular season, and it clearly had an impact on the star goaltender's performance.
Jumping into action without a training camp didn't go so well for Swayman or the Bruins, as he put up the worst numbers of his NHL career, going 22-29-7 with a 3.11 goals-against average and a .892 save percentage.
If Boston wants to have a bounce-back 2025-26 campaign, they'll need their number one netminder to get back to his all-star form, and according to Swayman, he feels way different after a great summer. Bruins beat writer Andrew Fantucchi shared a clip with some of his comments on X (formerly Twitter).
"I'm a completely different human being. And that's a testament to the experience that I've gained throughout my career to this point. And I'm so grateful for that, the ups and downs of it all. And, sitting here, Jeremy Swayman is in a really great spot. And I'm really excited about that," Swayman said.
Jeremy Swayman says he’s a “completely different human being” compared to this time last year. pic.twitter.com/hMUJpE7F9w
— Andrew Fantucchio (@A_Fantucchio) September 4, 2025
He was then asked about what he worked on and changed this offseason.
"Everything," Swayman added.
The 26-year-old will be entering the second season of the eight-year, $66 million contract extension he signed with the Bruins, looking to prove them right for making such a commitment.
Swayman faces pressure heading into 2025-26
While the contract negotiations dragging out as long as they did had a negative effect on his season, many are wondering whether Jeremy Swayman can handle the workload of being a clear-cut starting goalie.
Last year was his first without Linus Ullmark alongside in tandem, and Swayman started a career-high 58 games. The numbers weren't pretty, and it puts quite a bit of pressure on a guy who is among the top five highest-paid goaltenders in hockey.
The Boston Bruins roster is lacking outside of its star players, so it's up to the likes of Swayman, David Pastrnak, and Charlie McAvoy to carry the load if they want any hope of making a return to the postseason in 2025-26.