According to a team announcement, the Bruins have signed goaltender Simon Zajicek to a one-year, two-way contract extension through the 2026-27 season with an NHL cap hit of $850,000.
Zajicek, 24, appeared in 21 games with Providence during the 2025-26 season, compiling an overall record of 14-6-1 with a 2.44 goals against average and a .915 save percentage. Finishing in the top 30 in his rookie season for both categories among all goaltenders, en route to Providence’s record-breaking regular season, where they clinched the Atlantic and top seed in the AHL East.
The Frydlant, Czechia native was originally signed by Boston as a free agent in May 2025. Before Boston, he played in 90 career games with HC Litvinov of Czech Extraliga from 2019-25, posting an overall record of 36-48-0 with a 2.68 goals against average and a .912 save percentage.
The 6-foot-2, 185-pound goaltender’s first and only other contract was a one-year, $872,500 contract to serve in tandem with Michael DiPietro with the Providence Bruins. Zajicek was a formidable partner to DiPietro, who was awarded as the AHL’s MVP for posting the league’s best goals-against average and save-percentage in 2025-26 and was called up for a game in the NHL.
Starting this past season, Zajicek notably boasted a 6-1-0 record in his first seven starts in the AHL. Throughout those seven starts, Zajicek allowed two goals or fewer in each game. By December, he ranked as high as fourth in the AHL with a .932 save percentage and as high as fifth in the league with a 2.02 goals against average.
The Bruins’ goaltending room now has five netminders signed under contract, with Jeremy Swayman leading in the NHL at $8.25MM a year as Boston’s starter, which is a given. Some consider the backup NHL position up for grabs in Boston. Questions loom regarding the NHL backup role, given the stellar performances Michael DiPietro made in the minors and the streaky play of Joonas Korpisalo, who posted a 3.15 goals-against average and .894 save percentage in 31 NHL games.
Boston also has Merrimack College standout Max Lundgren inked this coming season for a year at 952,500. He joined the club this past season on an AHL tryout agreement, coming off an NCAA saves-leading season with the Warriors. The Ängelholm native became the first goalie since Connor Hellebuyck of UMass Lowell (20 saves vs Notre Dame in 2014) to record a shutout in a Hockey East semifinal and made 49 saves against UConn to win the school’s first-ever conference championship.
With Lundgren and now Zajicek signed, it’s curious to wonder how the Bruins will move forward with their goalie depth, given how things have shaken out. Boston still has Providence College’s Philip Svedeback‘s signing rights set to expire later this summer and Luke Cavallin‘s RFA rights. If Boston wants to free up more money from their current $15MM in cap space, perhaps dealing Korpisalo’s $3MM AAV elsewhere could move every goaltender up the ladder and provide some wiggle room as they assess a big move to bolster the team’s current roster.
More to come.
