Jeremy Swayman has quietly emerged as a Vezina contender, posting strong numbers for the Bruins including league-leading metrics in goals saved above expected and wins above replacement.
Early on this season, the race for the Vezina trophy has looked like a tight race with Washington's Logan Thompson, New York's Igor Shesterkin and Tampa Bay's Andrei Vasilevskiy leading the pack.
We recently outlined some of the cases made early on for Thompson and Shesterkin while Vasilevskiy's recent play over the Bolts hot streak has propelled him into the conversation. This is all while another goaltender is hiding under the surface with stellar numbers and may emerge as a sleeper contender.
The Boston Bruins have been off to a far better start than people expected at 15-12-0 with many crediting the stellar start to the season from forwards David Pastrnak and Morgan Geekie as the key reasons behind the success. At times, it's actually been goaltender Jeremy Swayman that has helped key his team in the game with clutch saves and difference-making plays.
This season, Swayman has posted an 11-6-0 record with a 2.62 goals-against average and a .915 save percentage, which is very solid considering that backup Joonas Korpisalo is 4-6-0 on the year. The Bruins have relied on Swayman to deliver in key moments, and he has responded, making 486 saves this season, the second-most in the NHL.
His underlying numbers on MoneyPuck show where he is making significant gains. Swayman leads the league in goals saved above expected with 19.4, a sizable margin over second-place Logan Thompson, who has 16.8 on the season. He also ranks first in wins above replacement at 3.23 showcasing his importance to the team that is further hammered home by his underlying save percentages.
Swayman is among the league leaders with a .961 save percentage on unblocked shots, has a .814 save percentage on unblocked high-danger chances, and has a .871 save percentage on unblocked mid-danger chances.
His impact is likely to become even more noticeable later in the season if the Bruins continue to ride his hot streak into an unexpected playoff berth. This could finally give the 27-year-old Alaska native the recognition he deserves. Swayman is currently listed at +2200 odds to win the Vezina Trophy, and if he maintains his current pace, his case for the award will continue to strengthen.
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