Jeremy Swayman didn't need much time or many opportunities to make a name for himself.
ESPN's Emily Kaplan named the Boston Bruins goaltender the team's breakthrough player of the 2020-21 NHL season Wednesday.
If NHL observers didn't know much about Swayman last month when the Bruins called him up from AHL Providence, they probably do now thanks to his impressive start to his NHL career.
"Jeremy Swayman, a 22-year-old who played last season at the University of Maine, entered the season as the Bruins' fourth-string goalie," Kaplan wrote in her NHL Power Rankings column. "With a .946 save percentage and 1.46 goals-against average through seven starts, he's a legit option to be Boston's top backup in the playoffs."
Whether Swayman secures the job of backing up Tuukka Rask during the Stanley Cup playoffs remains uncertain. Nevertheless, Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy admitted Tuesday that Swayman has forced his way into Boston's goaltending rotation, for now at the expense of veteran Jaroslav Halak.
Swayman has credited support from fans, teammates like Rask and Halak and his current and former coaches for his early NHL success.
Injuries, illness or other unforeseen circumstances might determine when and how much Swayman plays over the final eight regular season games and during the playoffs. Regardless of how it plays out, Swayman has done more than enough to merit the "Breakthrough Player" title Kaplan has bestowed upon him.
