The Boston Bruins know that Jeremy Swayman will be their goaltender for the foreseeable future. They traded Linus Ullmark to the Ottawa Senators, leaving Swayman as the lone option in the net. Swayman is currently a restricted free agent and needs a contract before the season begins. Sportsnet insider Elliotte Friedman reported on Wednesday that the two sides are not close to a deal.
“The last I heard, they weren't close,” Friedman said on the 32 Thoughts podcast. “I think this has been a bit of a challenging negotiation. But they've still got time and we'll see how this sorts out.”
The Bruins made a lot of changes to their roster this offseason, mainly letting Jake DeBrusk walk in free agency and signing Elias Lindholm to a seven-year deal. The goaltending question came to a head this summer as the team needed to clear space to sign Swayman.
The Ullmark trade gave the Bruins $8.6 million in cap space that can be used to sign Swayman. There should be no hesitation in giving the 25-year-old most of that excess space. He finished in the top ten in Vezina Trophy voting last season, posting a .916 save percentage in 43 starts. The Bruins are set up for a good 2024-25 season if they can get Swayman under contract.
Bruins expectations for 2024-25
The Bruins expect to make the playoffs for a ninth consecutive season. With David Pastrnak in his prime and a young goaltender becoming a star, they should be contenders for a Stanley Cup. This core has struggled in the playoffs, especially in the past two years. They must lean on Swayman to break that trend.
The 2022-23 Bruins were one of the best teams in league and franchise history. Their 135 points are the most in league history and they won the President's Trophy by a whopping 22 points. They then took a 3-1 series lead against the Florida Panthers in the first round. Their collapse spelled the end of one of the greatest seasons ever.
They came back and made the playoffs last season and faced the Toronto Maple Leafs. They again held a 3-1 series lead and the Leafs forced game seven. The Bruins won, putting an end to a lot of drama in Beantown. They lost once again to the Panthers in the second round.
Swayman was the biggest reason the Bruins advanced last season. He played six games in the Leafs series and posted a .950 save percentage. The will-they-won't-they of Bruins starting goaltending also played a role in the offseason decisions. The Bruins played their moves very close to the chest and Swayman spoke out about his frustrations with that. The Bruins listened and rode him to a series victory.
The contract will likely not be for the full eight years, as Swayman will want to hit unrestricted free agency. The recent deals signed by Ilya Sorokin and Juuse Saros put a cap on what Swayman's salary could be, around $7.5 million. The Bruins should not think twice about signing Swayman to that type of deal, although it's understandable that they would want him for a long time. The leverage lies with Swayman who knows that the Bruins need him this season.
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