How Recently Claimed Goalie Feels About Joining Bruins Amid Jeremy Swayman Negotiations
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Jeremy Swayman remaining unsigned opened up the door for the Boston Bruins to add another goaltender to their roster with the season opener just days away.
The Bruins on Wednesday claimed Jiri Patera off waivers from the Vancouver Canucks as he joins a goalie group that features fellow newcomer Joonas Korpisalo and Brandon Bussi.
Patera, who said he was in the middle of a workout when he found he was headed to the Bruins, is aware of the contract situation with Swayman hovering over the team, but that's not going to change his approach.
"I was following it a little bit. For me, it's a little bit of an odd situation, but at the same time just try to focus on myself," Patera told reporters, per team-provided video. "That's the main thing for me. Just to get better every single day and just get on that NHL level."
Patera comes to the Bruins with just eight games of NHL experience under his belt -- all of which came with the Vegas Golden Knights. The 25-year-old spent the majority of the last three seasons playing for Vegas' AHL affiliate and posted an 11-10-4 record with a 2.99 goals against average and a .903 save percentage at that level during the 2023-24 campaign.
It looks like Patera will be the third goalie on Boston's depth chart at the moment behind Korpisalo and Bussi. Bruins head coach Jim Montgomery said Korpisalo is expected to start the first game of the season next Tuesday against the reigning Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers.
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Patera has little time left in the preseason to push Bussi, who has no NHL experience, for a roster spot. Montgomery said it doesn't look likely Patera will play in Boston's preseason finale Saturday against the Washington Capitals.
"My plan is just to go day-to-day, impress the coaches and make the starting roster," Patera said.
Even if Patera doesn't crack the Bruins' roster out of training camp, he could still see time with the NHL club early in the season, especially if Swayman's contract talks continue on with no resolution. All it would take is an injury to Korpisalo or Bussi for Patera to get called up.
Regardless, Patera is relishing the opportunity in front of him with his new team.
"Original Six team and just a lot of history," Patera said. "Really, really grateful and really happy to be part of an organization like that."
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