On Wednesday, Oct. 2, the Boston Bruins announced that they had claimed goaltender Jiri Patera off waivers from the Vancouver Canucks.
This makes three players that the Bruins have acquired from the Canucks before the regular season starts, and the second goaltender they have acquired in the offseason, the other being Joonas Korpisalo, of course.
Patera will barely make a dent in Boston’s payroll as he only carries with him a cap hit of $775,000 in both the 2024-25 season and the 2025-26 season as he was signed by Vancouver in the offseason. On top of him being a bargain financially, he is also on a two-way contract, which gives the Bruins the ability to send him to the American Hockey League (AHL) if need be and trust the goalies in their system
This really begs the question, what is their plan moving forward with Patera and what does it mean about their attitude towards their current situation in goal?
The Move Also Shows Desperation on Boston’s End
By acquiring Patera, Boston shows that they are not only willing to wait out Jeremy Swayman and hope he comes down on his asking price, but that they are desperate to have a goalie on the roster who has NHL experience. Patera doesn’t have much, but it’s more than both Michael DiPietro and Brandon Bussi.
It also shows a lack of faith that the Bruins have in Bussi at the moment. Bussi has had a lackluster preseason to say the least, and is trending towards starting the season with AHL Providence, unfortunately.
With no other netminders in the system with NHL experience outside of DiPietro, who has just three games under his belt, unless Boston signs Swayman before the season starts, it appears that Patera will start the season as the backup to Korpisalo in net.
Patera has only played in eight games at the NHL (seven starts), and holds a 3-3-1 record. He also has a 3.57 goals against average (GAA), and .902 save percentage SV%.) The bulk of Patera’s career, however, has been in the AHL with the Henderson Silver Knights.
With the Silver Knights in the 2023-24 season, he played in 25 games, posting a 2.99 GAA and an .893 SV%.
While Patera may not be the most ideal option for the Bruins, they will have to make the most out of an absolutely horrendous situation. Both goaltenders will be brand new to the system and the team, and will have to develop chemistry with their teammates. Keep in mind that the regular season begins in five days.