Maciej Szwoch's informal arrival in Ottawa last year coincided with Linus Ullmark’s turnaround.
The Ottawa Senators’ first step to bolster their goaltending position this offseason occurred with an off-ice addition.
On Friday, the organization officially announced the hiring of Maciej Szwoch to a newly created title: the coordinator of goaltending and scouting development.
According to the Senators’ official press release, Szwoch “will work with all the goaltenders on the Senators’ roster. He will be working with goaltenders in the NHL and AHL, as well as younger prospects. He will also be involved with drafting and scouting.”
Szwoch has previous NHL experience, having worked for seven years as a European goaltending consultant for the Detroit Red Wings from 2015 through 2022. Throughout his career, he has predominantly worked as a goaltending coach in the SHL for MODO and Färjestad BK.
Szwoch spent the second half of the season around the Senators, having joined the organization unofficially as a consultant. His presence was a product of Linus Ullmark’s leave of absence to address his mental health. To help their number one goaltender, one of the first things the organization did was bring in his close friend, former goaltending coach, and mentor, Szwoch.
The turnaround in Ullmark’s performance was immediate.
Through the first three months of the season, the Ottawa Senators had the worst team save percentage (87.19 Sv%) in the league, according to Natural Stat Trick. In terms of goals saved above expected (GSAx), both Linus Ullmark and backup goaltender Leevi Merilainen had two of the three worst GSAx metrics in the league at the turn of the calendar year.
In his first 28 appearances before his leave of absence, Ullmark had a -9.10 GSAx.
Despite strong underlying metrics that portrayed the Senators as one of the best defensive teams in the NHL, their goaltending had almost inescapably sunk their chance of reaching the postseason.
Following his return, Ullmark posted a 12.62 GSAx and was named the NHL’s second star of the week in April.
That marked improvement in performance helped the Senators clinch a second consecutive postseason spot, and Ullmark’s strong play carried over into the postseason.
Although the Senators were swept in four games, Ullmark posted a .932 save percentage, and his 10.05 GSAx ranked fourth among postseason totals.
This stark contrast between the formative stages of the season and Szwoch's presence in the second half added a layer of intrigue. In their end-of-season availabilities, both Travis Green and Steve Staios were mum on any changes or additions to their respective staffs.
Szwoch’s relationship with Ullmark and the drastic improvement in performance, however, raised questions about whether that relationship would continue. It is only reasonable to assume that it would not have been comfortable for goaltending coach Justin Peters to have an additional figure around who has a strong connection to the team’s number one goaltender.
With this newly appointed role, however, Peters can continue in his current role while ensuring the dynamic between Szwoch and Ullmark remains.
And, if anything else, today’s announcement essentially affirms that Ullmark will be around for the foreseeable future as well.
Szwoch's new role will also allow him to expand on a project he took on last summer.
In an episode of the ‘InGoal Radio Podcast’ featuring Szwoch, he explained that he spent the 2025 offseason conducting a study analyzing 322 goalies who were affiliated with NHL organizations between 2015 and 2025. His study evaluated draft success by comparing the cost invested in a player with the actual return measured by appearances or trade value. His data-driven study also depicted geographic and organizational trends in how NHL teams select and develop goaltenders.
The Senators have done a decent job of scouting and developing goaltenders who have gone on to play professionally in North America. Unfortunately, several of them have gone on to find success for other organizations. The hope is that by adding Szwoch’s data and expertise, it will only continue to help them make more informed decisions in the future.
By Graeme Nichols
The Hockey News
