The least of Don Sweeney and Cam Neely’s worries is how many starts Joonas Korpisalo received for the Boston Bruins this season. This season, the Bruins took a downward spiral, finishing 15th in the Eastern Conference after becoming sellers at the trade deadline. It was the worst season for the Bruins in nearly three decades, which makes Jimmy Murphy’s report about Joonas Korpisalo even less surprising.
Murphy reports on RG.com that Korpisalo could seek a trade this season if the Bruins don’t guarantee he’ll get more starts. When Boston acquired him, Korpisalo knew he’d be the backup goaltender to Jeremy Swayman, but he likely believed it’d be closer to a tandem than it was. It didn’t help that Swayman struggled this season, which made it even more perplexing for Korpisalo.
“I’m hearing his name out there more and more,” an NHL executive source told RG Media. “He’s not happy and thinks he earned more playing time. He’s more than open to exploring trade options.”
Korpisalo appeared in 27 games this season, 28 fewer than in 2023-24 with the Ottawa Senators. He was effective for the Bruins, owning an 11-10-3 record, a 2.90 goals-against average, and a .893 save percentage.
Joonas Korpisalo earned more starts with Bruins
Korpisalo’s likely gripe with the Bruins is that Swayman didn’t earn the number of starts he received. Some Bruins fans would argue that Swayman’s contract holdout in the summer set the table for the unsuccessful season, which should’ve earned Korpisalo more love. However, Swayman appeared in 58 games, owning a 3.11 goals-against average and a .892 save percentage.
It wasn’t the prettiest season for the Bruins’ starter, but he should begin to turn that around in 2025-26. The lack of training camp got his season off on the wrong foot, and he could never catch up. It wasn’t the performance the front office wanted after giving him the massive contract, but they are optimistic that it’s the worst they’ll ever see Swayman play.
Korpisalo probably feels the same way, which leads to the trade rumors. If he couldn’t get more than 27 appearances when Swayman was at his worst, it likely won’t improve if he bounces back next season. Korpisalo hopes to find a long-term home, considering the Bruins are his third team since 2023. However, speculation is ramping up that his long-term home won’t be in Boston.