Does Jeremy Swayman have what it takes to become a true NHL star goaltender?

As the Boston Bruins continue to battle for the top spot in the Atlantic Division, and the entire NHL for that matter, many wonder when its young netminder is ready to make the true jump to stardom.

Jeremy Swayman has been fulfilling the role as one-half of the best goaltending tandem in the league, as he Linus Ullmark’s bromance has helped the Bruins hang near the top of the NHL standings for the last two seasons.

His individual numbers have taken a dip compared to last season, and are actually on pace to be the worst of his three-year career. In 39 appearances, the 2020 Mike Richter Award winner is 22-8-8 with a 2.57 goals-against average and .917 save percentage, with three shutouts to his name as well.

That said, many believe Swayman has more to offer, and has the ability to become a real no. 1 goaltender. He is currently on a one-year contract that he signed last August in order to avoid arbitration, with a cap hit of $3.475 million. The Bruins’ minimum qualifying offer would have to be that same AAV.

On Tuesday’s edition of Daily Faceoff LIVE, former NHL netminder Carter Hutton joined the show to discuss who Swayman has the potential to become.

Carter Hutton: I know he’s been protected in a good Bruins system and structure with Linus Ullmark, but I think moving forward now with his contract coming up…you watch him now, the way he plays, he covers a lot of the net, and I think his confidence has grown. It takes a little bit of time and reps to get the mental side of your game there. He has that experience now.

I look for him to be a starter next year. I know there is going to be contract negotiations, but he is a guy that comes into [the Vezina] conversation, full tilt.

You can watch the full segment, and the entire episode here…