Boston Bruins

Jeremy Swayman: NHL Insider Has Update On Bruins Negotiations

Published

1 month ago

September 7, 2024

AP Photo/Julio Cortez

With every passing day, more and more tension rises around the situation between the Boston Bruins and restricted free-agent goalie Jeremy Swayman. However, it also seems that a little more information on the contract negotiations rises to the surface as well.

In the latest episode of 32 Thoughts: The Podcast, Sportsnet insider Elliotte Friedman gave an update on where things currently stand between the two sides, with the start of training camp now less than two weeks away.

32 Thoughts Friday news & information podcast. We go through every team. Lotsa tidbits. Great editing work from @CamJBarra, pinch-hitting for Dom. Back next Friday, then returning to our regular Monday/Friday schedule.

Enjoy!https://t.co/io7Mr1RceU

— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) September 6, 2024

Earlier reports indicated that the Bruins are offering a four-deal with an average annual value of $6.2 million, while Swayman is looking for a contract worth $10 million a season. According to Friedman, there’s truth to both rumors.

“Nobody has disputed that to me,” said Friedman. “Not that it’s a huge difference, but I also heard that the [Charlie] McAvoy contract was the ask, which is $9.5 million. So it’s obvious there’s a huge discrepancy here. I do believe, and again, it’s tough because the team won’t talk and the player won’t talk, but I do believe at some point that there was an eight-year deal on the table, but it was in the [$6 million range]. I don’t think that at any point here, anyone has ever been close.”

To say the least, negotiations between the Bruins and Swayman have been contentious for over a year now.

Swayman played last season under a one-year contract after the Bruins took him to salary arbitration, a process which left him frustrated going into the year. Nevertheless, Swayman responded by putting together a stellar season.

While setting a new career-high of 44 starts, Swayman posted a .916 save percentage and a 2.53 goals-against average and eventually took over as Boston’s No. 1 goalie in the playoffs. That performance helped push the Bruins to trade Linus Ullmark to the Ottawa Senators, a move that all but officially made Swayman the team’s unequivocal starter going into the season and one of the NHL betting favorites to win the Vezina Trophy.

Now up for a new contract once again, Swayman has reaffirmed his commitment to Boston by spending his entire offseason in the city and being a regular presence around the Bruins practice facility. But despite all of Swayman’s efforts, the Bruins aren’t fully ready to commit to him just yet.

“While the Bruins don’t disbelieve in Swayman, he’s only played 132 NHL games,” Friedman said. “The guy is super talented, and he’s going to be a star No. 1 goalie. I don’t think anybody disputes that. But my secondhand theory is that the Bruins are saying, ‘We do believe in Jeremy Swayman, but he hasn’t carried the full load yet.'”

As the projected starter heading into this season, Swayman will be expected to play approximately 55 games or more, far above what’s been asked of him during his NHL career.

Swayman has never been relied upon to carry the Bruins until this past season. Now, the team is asking him to without the security of a proven backup behind him as Joonas Korpisalo comes to Boston as a reclamation project after a down season last year in Ottawa.

Check It Out: Bruins Goalie Joonas Korpisalo Embracing Fresh Start In Boston

Swayman’s importance to the success of the Bruins has never been higher, and, by all accounts, he is asking to be paid as such.

However, With just $8.63 million in available cap space, according to Puckpedia, it’s impossible for the Bruins to sign the goalie to either of his reported asking prices without having to move money off the books somewhere else.

In the past, the Bruins have been willing to make such sacrifices to re-sign some of their other home-grown stars, but now may be drawing the line at Swayman.

“They bent on McAvoy. He went to a higher place than [Patrice] Bergeron went, or [Tuukka] Rask went, or [Brad] Marchand went,” said Friedman. “David Pastrnak, he said, ‘You want to keep me, then this is what it’s going to take,’ and eventually they did it. I don’t know what they’re going to do here with Swayman, but the theory, and I think this is the best theory that I’ve heard so far as to why they won’t go where Swayman wants to go, is that.”

Although the saga between the Bruins and Swayman has lasted for more than a year now, it appears things are only getting started and far from the end.