The Vancouver Canucks put four players on waivers on Tuesday but only really seemed concerned about one of them getting claimed: Phil Di Giuseppe.
The veteran winger had become a favourite of head coach Rick Tocchet with his hard-forechecking two-way game. Tocchet played him up and down the lineup and gave him a prominent role on the penalty kill when he was in the lineup. But at a camp with younger players pushing for jobs, .
鈥淚t鈥檚 a hard one,鈥� said Tocchet. 鈥淗e鈥檚 a solid guy and he鈥檚 had a really good camp. There鈥檚 numbers involved, there鈥檚 a lot more to it 鈥� the cap and LTIR, it鈥檚 over my head 鈥� but I hope he doesn鈥檛 get picked up, to be honest with you. He鈥檚 a guy that I still think, if he doesn鈥檛 get picked up, he鈥檚 still in the mix. He鈥檚 just an unreal guy.鈥�
A Canuck did get claimed off waivers but it wasn鈥檛 Di Giuseppe; it was goaltender Jiri Patera, claimed by the Boston Bruins.
The desperate, desperate Boston Bruins.
The Bruins might lose both of their Vezina-caliber goaltenders
A few months ago, the Bruins had the best goaltending tandem in the NHL.
Jeremy Swayman and Linus Ullmark were third and fifth in the NHL in save percentage among goaltenders with at least 30 games played, finishing right behind Thatcher Demko. Both finished top-seven in Vezina voting last season, which is unheard of for goaltenders splitting the net the way they did.
It was an untenable goaltending situation, not because the two were sharing a net but because Swayman became a restricted free agent in need of a new contract and was in line for a significant raise. The Bruins simply couldn鈥檛 afford both goaltenders: they had to choose one.
Unsurprisingly, the Bruins chose the younger goaltender, Swayman, and traded the 31-year-old Ullmark to the Ottawa Senators for a first-round pick, bottom-six centre Mark Kastelic, and journeyman goaltender Joonas Korpisalo.
It was a completely understandable trade to make but, unfortunately for them, they made the trade before signing Swayman to a new contract. As a result, the Bruins might go from having two Vezina-caliber goaltenders last season to none this season.
As a restricted free agent, Swayman doesn鈥檛 have a lot of leverage in contract negotiations but his biggest piece of leverage is a simple one: refusing to sign. He鈥檚 done exactly that, as he has felt the Bruins鈥� contract offers have been insufficient for arguably one of the best goaltenders in the NHL.
Bruins president Cam Neely insinuated that the Bruins have offered Swayman a hefty deal, saying that if he were Swayman, he would have, 鈥�64 million reasons why I鈥檇 be playing right now.鈥�
Swayman鈥檚 agent shot back with a post on Instagram, saying, 鈥淭his was the first time that number was discussed in our negotiations. Prior to the press conference, no offer was made reaching that level.鈥�
Negotiations have reached the point where Swayman is reportedly .
Swayman and the Bruins could still come together to sort out a deal before the start of the regular season but the Bruins claiming Jiri Patera off waivers suggests they鈥檙e truly worried that things won鈥檛 work out.
Patera goes from fifth-string to second-string
Let鈥檚 be blunt: Jiri Patera isn鈥檛 an NHL goaltender.
The 25-year-old Czech has played just eight games in the NHL with middling results. His .902 save percentage in those eight starts isn鈥檛 terrible but it鈥檚 also not particularly good.
Patera was signed by the Canucks because he鈥檚 a capable AHL goaltender who could potentially fill in for injuries in the NHL if necessary. He was expected to battle for starts with Nikita Tolopilo for the Abbotsford Canucks in the AHL but was most likely going to end up as the backup behind Tolopilo.
When the Canucks , Patera went from fourth on the Canucks鈥� goaltending depth chart to fifth, at least once Thatcher Demko returns from his injury rehab. That was nice depth to have from the Canucks鈥� perspective but losing Patera isn鈥檛 exactly the end of the world.
With Patera claimed, the Canucks can instead keep prospect Ty Young in Abbotsford until Demko returns. The 20-year-old Young is eligible to return to the WHL for his over-age year but might not have a spot to return to on the Prince George Cougars, who have handed the net to Joshua Ravensbergen, one of the top goaltending prospects for the 2025 NHL Entry Draft.
For the Bruins, however, Patera wouldn鈥檛 be fifth on their depth chart; he jumps up to second.
If Swayman doesn鈥檛 re-sign with the Bruins, they鈥檒l have to go with Korpisalo as their starter and Patera as his backup. Korpisalo is coming off a season as the Senators鈥� starter where he put up an .890 save percentage 鈥� one of the worst in the NHL.
It鈥檚 entirely possible that Korpisalo could revitalize his career in Boston under the tutelage of goaltending coach Bob Essensa, who has worked wonders with the Bruins鈥� goaltenders. It鈥檚 possible that Patera could prove that he is an NHL-caliber backup. But there鈥檚 no denying that a Korpisalo-Patera tandem would be an immense step down from Swayman-Ullmark.
Claiming the Canucks鈥� fifth-string goaltender to be their backup? The Bruins have to be desperate.
