Bruins sign top goalie prospect to contract extension

Bussi was called up by the Bruins on an emergency basis to back up Swayman in Boston’s final regular-season games against the Flyers and Canadiens. He stuck around with the NHL club as the No. 3 goalie during Boston’s doomed first-round series against the Panthers.

Inking Bussi to a new deal allows Boston to keep its top AHL goalie in place for another year of critical development.

But after a standout showing in his first full year with the organization, could Bussi be in line for a more significant role with Boston in 2023-24?

Even though Boston ideally wants to keep its 1-2 punch of Ullmark and Swayman intact moving forward, a severe cap crunch might force Don Sweeney into some drastic decisions.

With Swayman still due a nice pay raise this summer as another unrestricted free agent, the Bruins could explore a trade for Ullmark in search of cap relief, given that his value may never be higher coming off a likely Vezina Trophy win. 

Opting for a reworked tandem of Swayman and Bussi as a green backup could be an option Boston takes, especially if it wants to build for the future and save a solid chunk of cap space.

Granted, such a move still offers plenty of risk given that Bussi has yet to play in a single NHL game. Boston might have to peruse the free-agent market for a cheap veteran if Ullmark is indeed dealt later this summer.

Regardless of how Boston settles its current goalie corps, Bussi’s development will be something worth watching in 2023-24.

With Boston likely needing to embrace a youth movement in order to offset its current fiscal restrictions, Bussi might be one of many AHL regulars set to earn larger roles on the parent club next year.