The Boston Bruins made a curious choice when they opted to not take contract negotiations with Jeremy Swayman to arbitration. The two sides went through the process last summer, resulting in the goaltender earning a one-year deal worth $3.475 million. Now at the same cross roads again, the Bruins and Swayman are choosing a new approach.
The Bruins are all-in on Swayman as their top goaltender heading into the 2024-2025 season. They moved on from former Vezina winner Linus Ullmark at the 2024 NHL Draft, sending him to the Ottawa Senators for a draft pick and veteran netminder Joonas Korpisalo. With Swayman’s running mate out of town, the Bruins crease solely belongs to him.
That hasn’t helped the two sides finalize a new contract unfortunately. The negotiations are at a standstill, and an agreement doesn’t seem close. Recently, NHL insider Dan Rosen discussed the situation in a mailbag article and wrote about the lofty contract the 26-year-old goaltender is seeking.
“If Swayman wants an eight-year contract, the number possibly could dip below $9 million because the term creates added value over the years,” Rosen wrote. “But it’s still reasonable to think it starts with a nine. And if he wants a five- or six-year contract, it could absolutely jump to north of $9 million per season, perhaps in the $10 million AAV range. He is already one of the top goalies in the NHL and arguably just now entering the best window of his career, the prime years.”
With training camp a little over a month away, the clock is ticking. The Bruins have the salary cap space to make a deal happen, so what is the hold up?
One of the concerns could be the salary Swayman wants. As Rosen wrote, there’s no denying that he’s entering his prime at 25 and he’s shown that he’s one of the most talented goaltenders in the league. The issue the Bruins could be hung up on is whether it is a wise decision to invest north of $8 million in a goaltender that has played less than 50 games in each of his NHL seasons.
On the flip side, the Bruins have longed for a goaltender that can carry the team back to a Stanley Cup championship since the retirements of Tuukka Rask and Tim Thomas. With respect to Ullmark, Swayman is the best option to do that since. With the 2024 season nearing, the Bruins need to stop wasting time and lock up their franchise goaltender to a long-term deal.
