Ex-NHL goaltender disagrees with NHL Network's ranking of Jeremy Swayman in Top 10 goalie list

By Ankit Kumar

Modified Aug 12, 2024 15:46 GMT

Boston Bruins goalie Jeremy Swayman was ranked fourth in the NHL Network's Top 10 goalie list, behind Igor Shesterkin, Connor Hellebuyck and Andrei Vasilevskiy. This ranking sparked some debate, with former NHL goaltender and current NHL analyst Cory Schneider sharing his thoughts.

Schneider, while speaking on NHL Network broadcast, praised Swayman's calmness under pressure and athleticism.

"Yeah, I really like Jeremy Swayman’s game," Schneider said. "I think he's got the right mental makeup. As you said, he's calm under pressure. He makes things look easy — he's square, he's big, he's wide — but he also has a little bit of flair to his game. He's got some athleticism that he shows off and displays all the time.

"So again, I think he's a little high for right now," Schneider added. " But, you know, we’re talking a year or two down the road; he could very well be in the top three. That’s how talented he is. That’s the path he’s on. He’s done nothing to dissuade us from believing he’s an elite-level goaltender."

Schneider acknowledged Swayman’s impressive 2023-24 season stats but felt the fourth-place ranking might be too high right now.

Jeremy Swayman has played around 130 regular-season games and had a brief playoff run, making it hard to judge his long-term potential.

"So again, I think based on potential, he's definitely right around where he should be," Schneider said. "But based on what he's accomplished so far and some of the other guys around him, he should be a little bit lower. But there’s nothing not to like about him."

Schneider compared Jeremy Swayman to his own early career. He believes Swayman could become a top-three goalie in the future. However, he noted that with the departure of Linus Ullmark, Swayman will face more pressure as the Bruins' main goalie.

This season will be key in proving whether Swayman deserves his spot among the NHL’s top goalies.

NHL network's ranking of top 10 goalies had Jeremy Swayman in 4th

NHL Network recently ranked the top 10 goalies. Here are the highlights:

#1. Igor Shesterkin (New York Rangers) – Shesterkin is now No. 1 with a 2.58 GAA and .913 save percentage.

#2. Connor Hellebuyck (Winnipeg Jets) – Hellebuyck, last season's Vezina Trophy winner, had a 2.39 GAA and .921 save percentage.

#3. Andrei Vasilevskiy (Tampa Bay Lightning) – Vasilevskiy, previously No. 1 for five years, had a 2.90 GAA and .900 save percentage.

#4. Jeremy Swayman (Boston Bruins) – Swayman, who shared time with Linus Ullmark, had a 2.53 GAA and .916 save percentage.

#5. Ilya Sorokin (New York Islanders) – Sorokin had a 3.01 GAA and .909 save percentage, but leads with 18 career shutouts.

#6. Thatcher Demko (Vancouver Canucks) – Demko had a 2.45 GAA and .918 save percentage but missed time due to injury.

#7. Sergei Bobrovsky (Florida Panthers) – Bobrovsky helped the Panthers win the Stanley Cup with a 2.37 GAA and .915 save percentage.

#8. Jake Oettinger (Dallas Stars) – Oettinger had a 2.72 GAA and .905 save percentage, leading the Stars to the Western Conference Final.

#9. Juuse Saros (Nashville Predators) – Saros, who played the most games, had a 2.86 GAA and .906 save percentage.

#10. Linus Ullmark (Ottawa Senators) – Ullmark, now with the Senators, had a 2.57 GAA and .915 save percentage last season.