Bruins’ goaltender Jeremy Swayman is still an unsigned RFA with the 2024-25 season around the corner. Is there a reason to panic yet?
The Boston Bruins have been all over the news over their contract negotiations with goaltender Jeremy Swayman. The Bruins clearly view him as the goalie of the future after they traded away Linus Ullmark to the Ottawa Senators a few months back. Sources have claimed that contract talks between Swayman and the Bruins are not close, but both parties believe a deal will be reached before the start of the season.
However, a bombshell was recently dropped by Boston sports media. According to Inside the Rink and Rich Keefe, the host of Boston’s WEEI 97.3 radio station, the 25-year-old is seeking big money; asking for $10 million on his next deal.
Now it’s not certain if this is entirely accurate, but given the lack of progress in negotiations, it’s certainly a possibility that Swayman is asking for this price. For the Bruins, $10 million is out of the question as the team has approximately $8.64 million in remaining cap space.
Swayman had a good year where he solidified himself as the number-one starter. In 44 games this season, he posted a 25-10-8 record with a .916 save percentage. He was drafted by the Bruins in the fourth round back in 2017 and has since made a solid name for himself.
With that being said, $10 million is a huge ask. The only current goaltender who makes that kind of money is recent Stanley Cup Champion Sergei Bobrovsky. Before him, it was Carey Price who made $10.5 million with the Montreal Canadiens. With Swayman already going to arbitration once before, negotiations going south is the last thing the Bruins need.
Say what you want about Swayman, but if his ask of $10 million is unrealistic. While it’s true that he will be the Bruins’ starter for years to come, that type of money is unjustifiable for him.
Swayman was seventh in Vezina votes this season and fits more between the $8-9 million range. Looking at other goaltenders around the league, Connor Hellebuyck makes $8.5 million while Ilya Sorokin makes $8.25 million. Swayman in my opinion likely fits in the range of between $8.5-8.75 million. Giving Swayman $10 million would not be financially smart for the Bruins right now, and it wouldn’t exactly be team-friendly.
For Swayman to have any chances of getting that type of money, he would likely need to sign a bridge deal to allow him to hit UFA status in hopes that his future performance justifies a high AAV. However, it’s extremely unlikely that the Bruins would entertain the idea of a bridge deal and instead hope to lock him up long-term.
With the lack of progress being a concern, should Bruins fans hit the panic button? President of the Bruins Cam Neely attempted to calm the fanbase down in a statement where he believes a deal with Swayman will be reached fairly soon:
“Not every negotiation is as smooth as you’d like it. I know our fan base would certainly love to have something done by now. But I’m fully confident that both sides will come to an agreement before too long here.”
We’ll see where this goes as the Bruins were having a relatively good offseason. The team was aggressive in free agency bringing in players such as Elias Lindholm and Nikita Zadorov in an attempt to stay as a playoff contender. While the Bruins’ lineup has certainly improved, their biggest piece remains unsigned.
Therefore it’s understandable why some individuals within the fanbase are questioning the team’s management, but at the same time, negations with RFA’s can be tricky. It’s common for many RFA’s to not sign until training camp and looking at other teams such as Detroit, they still have major work to do with their young players. Regardless, it is understandable to be worried, but the team isn’t going to agree on an extension with Swayman unless both parties benefit.
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