An age-old adage in the NHL is that the best teams are built from the net out. Though there are many moving parts and factors to consider when building a successful team in the NHL, there’s no denying that strong goaltending play can be the difference between a good team and a great one. In this respect, the Boston Bruins have been very fortunate to have strong goaltending for the better parts of two decades. A big part of this is the team’s goaltending coach Bob Essensa, who works with all of the goalies in the system, split between the NHL and AHL teams. The other component, though, is the talent that’s come and gone through the system over the years. The newest player of interest at the position for the Bruins is 24-year-old goalie Simon Zajicek, who signed with the team in May of this year.
Zajicek joined the Bruins on a one-year entry-level deal worth $872,500 after garnering some interest from other teams last season. The Czech Republic-native played in 29 games with HC Litvinov of Czech Extraliga last season and put together a 15-13-0 record. Though the win-loss record certainly doesn’t jump off the screen, his very impressive 2.12 goals-against average and .930 save percentage are impossible to ignore. In fact, he’d rank first in the league in save percentage and second in shutouts, registering five blank sheets last season. He’d also add three postseason games to his resume in 2024-25, continuing his dominance with a .927 save percentage and a 2.63 goals-against average.
