Poll: Is it time for Bruins to give the keys to Swayman?

The tides have turned at the TD Garden or wherever the Boston Bruins happen to be playing hockey on a given night.

Last year, Linus Ullmark was always the first name on the team sheet as he won the NHL goalie Triple Crown en route to capturing the Vezina Trophy. By the numbers, it was one of the finest seasons a goalie has ever turned in throughout NHL history.

Flash forward one year and it's now a former-Black Bear as the first name between the pipes.

Jeremy Swayman has taken over the role as the Bruins No. 1 goalie. He gets the biggest games, and for the last two months, he's got the lion's share of the work.

While even Swayman's numbers have dipped a bit of recent as the B's continue their choppy play, going 14-6-7 in 2024 and winning just five of their last 15 contests, he still ahs 20 wins for the year, a share of the 2nd-best save percentage in the league, and is 8-3-2 in his last 13 games.

Meanwhile, Boston has lost each of Ullmark's previous six starts (0-1-5) while the reigning Vezina winner is 5-2-6 in his last 13 games since Jan. 1.

With the NHL trade deadline looming on Friday, and the Bruins strapped for cash should they look to upgrade, unloading Ullmark could be Boston's best path toward improvement.

Of course, it matters what you get in return. Anyone who brings Ullmark in would have to be in contention ideally, otherwise why would a team waste trading for a goalie that will do little to help their own prospects?

New Jersey has been mentioned as a team with interest, though the Devils are currently eight points in back of the 2nd wild card spot in the East.

Against the backdrop of Ullmark rumors, you also have the reports of Boston beginning negotiations on a lucrative contract extension for Swayman, rumored to be in the neighborhood of an "8x7" deal, 8-years with an AAV of $7 million.

When taking it all into account, is now the time to hand the keys to Swayman fulltime and break up everybody's favorite fun-hugging duo?