Who's facing the most pressure in the NHL? Bruins, Jeremy Swayman at impasse
The Boston Bruins anointed Jeremy Swayman their No. 1 goalie when they traded Linus Ullmark in the offseason. But he and the team haven't been able to agree on a new contract, meaning he's missing training camp.
Bruins coach Jim Montgomery announced Monday that Joonas Korpisalo, acquired in the Ullmark deal, would be the Game 1 starter and that the team has confidence in him.
Still, the Bruins can't afford to have this contract stalemate drag out and Swayman, 25, can't afford to be out long. This will be Swayman's first season as a No. 1 goalie and he showed in the 2024 playoffs that he can handle that role, but his most starts in a regular season is 43 games last season.
"What his ask is and what we believe his (comparable) group is are two different things," Bruins president Cam Neely said.
Neely wouldn't say what Swayman was seeking but hinted at the Bruins' offer. "I have 64 million reasons why I'd be playing right now," he said.
General manager Don Sweeney said he has been in constant communication with Swayman's representatives.
"Ultimately, we're a better team ... if Jeremy is part of our hockey club," Sweeney said. "That's my intention. That's my wish and I'll continue to work to do that.
"I think Jeremy and the team are both hurt in this regard and that's what I'll do. I'll just try to work hard to find a settlement point."
Here's who else is facing pressure this season:
Utah Hockey Club
The NHL awarded Salt Lake City a franchise in April and even though Utah team owners Ryan and Ashley Smith acquired the Arizona Coyotes' players and management in the deal, there were only five months to get the business side up and running. Much has been accomplished, but the franchise has no full-time nickname and is playing in a basketball arena with obstructed view seats for hockey. The nickname will come soon, future renovations to the Delta Center will take care of the sightlines and fans have been purchasing tickets.
Of course, the best way to ensure franchise success is a good performance on the ice. The Coyotes made the playoffs once (in the 2020 bubble) since 2012. But GM Bill Armstrong has assembled a promising, young team and thanks to aggressive ownership, he added defensemen Mikhail Sergachev, John Marino and Ian Cole in the offseason.
Pittsburgh Penguins power play
The most perplexing part of the Penguins' second consecutive playoff miss was their faltering power play. Even after adding three-time Norris Trophy winner Erik Karlsson, the power play ranked 30th at 15.3%, down from 21.7% the year before. That led to the firing of assistant coach Todd Reirden and the hiring of David Quinn to oversee the man advantage. But he won't have Jake Guentzel this season and Karlsson has yet to take part in training camp due to an injury.
Nashville Predators
The Predators announced they're going for it with their July 1 signings of Steven Stamkos and Jonathan Marchessault (40-goal scorers and former Stanley Cup winners), plus defenseman Brady Skjei. Now they must prove it. They need to improve on their 16th-ranked power play and be a playoff contender throughout the season, not just one that gets in with a strong finish. And most important, they'll need to get out of the first round for the first time since 2018, not an easy task in the tough Central Division.
Pierre-Luc Dubois, Washington Capitals
Dubois is on his fourth NHL team entering his eighth season. The Los Angeles Kings gave up a lot to trade for him last season and he dropped from 63 points to 40. He was dealt to Washington after one season in L.A. Dubois, a former No. 3 overall pick, needs a strong bounce-back season.
Jonathan Huberdeau, Calgary Flames
The Flames signed Huberdeau to an extension with a $10.5 million cap hit after he was acquired in the 2022 Matthew Tkachuk trade. He had 115 points before the trade but 55 and 52 points in the two seasons since. He needs to score more, but with the Flames rebuilding, that might be difficult.
Buffalo Sabres coach Lindy Ruff
The Sabres have an NHL-worst 13-season playoff drought and they brought back Ruff, the last coach to lead the team to the postseason. He has said he's focusing on the current team, not his past success in Buffalo. The Sabres had a quiet offseason and could use another top six forward, so it will be up to Ruff's coaching to end the team's drought. He opens the season in Europe with two games against the New Jersey Devils, who fired him last season.
Los Angeles Kings defense
The Kings were already going through changes on defense because Matt Roy left via free agency. But then Drew Doughty broke his ankle in a preseason game. He needs surgery and is month-to-month. It will be tough making up his nearly 26 minutes a night. Youngster Brandt Clarke is expected to get more responsibility.
Carolina Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour
Brind'Amour excels at getting the best out of his players and this could be his biggest challenge. The Hurricanes weren't able to re-sign Guentzel and also lost defensemen Brett Pesce and Skjei, plus 25-goal scorer Teuvo Teravainen and forward Stefan Noesen to free agency. Evgeny Kuznetsov is playing in Russia and injured Jesper Fast could miss the season. General manager Eric Tulsky found replacements and it will be up to Brind'Amour to keep the Hurricanes among the league's top teams.
Vegas Golden Knights
The Golden Knights had one notable departure (Reilly Smith) after their Stanley Cup win in 2023 but six key players (Marchessault, Chandler Stephenson, Alec Martinez, Michael Amadio, William Carrier and goalie Logan Thompson) left over the summer. That's a big hit to their depth. Fortunately, Vegas will have a full season of trade deadline acquisitions Tomas Hertl and Noah Hanifin as it tries to make the playoffs for the seventh time in eight seasons.
