NHL Awards Rankings: New No. 1 in Vezina Trophy race
By Sion Fawkes
3. Jeremy Swayman, Boston Bruins
Jeremy Swayman sustained a major blemish in his quest for the Vezina Trophy when he allowed five goals in a blowout loss to the Winnipeg Jets. However, the 25-year-old redeemed himself in a huge way this past Wednesday in a 4-1 win over the Buffalo Sabres.
It was the second time in five games Swayman allowed just one goal, and the fourth time in five contests that he allowed two goals or less. While he only has 17 appearances on the season, another factor that could come back and hurt his chances to win the Vezina, he’s nevertheless been making the most of his time in the crease.
Swayman currently has a 10-2-4 record, a pair of shutouts, a save percentage of 0.929, and a 2.17 GAA. It’s also worth noting that he has 13 quality starts on the season, which equates to an amazing 0.765 quality starts percentage.
So far in 2023-24, Swayman has continued to outplay teammate Linus Ullmark, which ultimately gave him a spot on this list. If Swayman can keep up this legendary play and sustain his edge over Ullmark, he will be a finalist for the Vezina when the regular season ends, and if he wins, it will be back-to-back Vezinas for Boston.