Boston Bruins rumors: Why Jaroslav Halak has played his last game in Boston

After a long bout with COVID-19, Jaroslav Halak made his return between the pipes for the Boston Bruins. Sadly for the veteran, it seems like it might have been his last game.

Halak was basically a second starter for the majority of his career with the Bruins. It wasn’t until this past season that fans began to question Halak.

2021 has been the worst season of his Bruins career. Halak has a 2.53 goals against average along with a 9-6-4 record.

This year Boston has been unable to rely on Halak when he is in the net. While there are times where he is able to show his brilliance, way too many times we have seen Halak give up some bad goals.

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Halak simply hasn’t been the goaltender that the Bruins needed him to be. At 35 years old, taking a step back was something that was bound to happen.

But with Halak contracting COVID-19 and Tuukka Rask getting hurt, Boston had no choice but to rely on their young goaltenders. Dan Vladar and Jeremy Swayman were called upon to win games and they did just that.

While Vladar looked good, there is no doubt that Swayman stole the show. He has a calmness to him that you don’t normally see in young goalies. Swayman also made some big saves and even had a great showing in the dreaded shootout.

Why Jaroslav Halak has played his last game for the Boston Bruins

Some might say that it’s premature but Swayman is the real deal. Prior to his start on Thursday, The 22-year-old boasted a record of 6-2 with a 1.62 goals against average and .942 save percentage.

Swayman has already made the big saves. If the Bruins need him in the playoffs, fans should be confident that the young goaltender will get the job done.

Also after his last start, Halak was rather emotional. He smashed his stick and kicked a stool before heading to the locker room. As pointed out by Ty Anderson of 98.5 the Sports Hub, it was the reaction of someone who realized that he lost his role as the backup goaltender.

At the end of the season, Halak will be a free agent and it’s hard to see Boston bringing him back. With Swayman and Rask needing minutes to stay fresh ahead of the playoffs, it’s hard to see Halak playing again.

Next season, Swayman will likely be the backup goaltender. Rask wants to stay in Boston and it seems as though he will likely take a team-friendly deal to remain in a Bruins uniform.

With a tandem of Rask and Swayman, Boston could prepare for the future while also winning games. It’s a perfect combination.

So Halak has likely played his last game in Boston. The future has arrived in Swayman and he should be the backup goaltender for the playoffs and heading into next season.