Bruins’ Swayman Spat Brings Uncommon Public NHL Contract Drama

It’s not typically {that a} contract dispute within the NHL comes into full public view, however the Boston Bruins and goaltender Jeremy Swayman have produced a spicy prelude precisely per week earlier than the common season.

On Monday, staff president Cam Neely instructed the media that the Bruins have made an $8 million per season supply to Swayman, saying, “I don’t wish to get into the weeds with what his ask is, however I do know that I’ve 64 million the reason why I’d be taking part in proper now.”

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These feedback rankled Swayman’s agent Lewis Gross, who posted a response to Neely on social media. Stating that he doesn’t launch statements or negotiate via the media, Gross stated: “At right now’s press convention, $64 million was referenced. This was the primary time that quantity was mentioned in our negotiations. Previous to the press convention, no supply was made reaching that stage.”

Swayman, a restricted free agent, has but to report back to the staff and is holding out for a brand new long-term contract. Media studies state he’s in search of a contract with a mean annual worth of at the least $9.5 million, which might put him consistent with Tampa Bay’s Andrei Vasilevskiy, who signed an eight-year, $76 million extension in 2019. On the time of signing, the Lightning’s No. 1 goalie had already performed two full seasons as the highest netminder, together with successful the Vezina Trophy.

The 25-year-old Swayman had a stellar playoff run this previous spring, posting a .933 save share in 12 video games.

Neither the Bruins nor Gross responded to requests for remark.

5 goalies make a mean annual worth of at the least $8 million, together with Montreal’s Carey Worth, who has not performed since 2022 and is on the books for $10.5 million this season. The others are Vasilevskiy, Florida’s Sergei Bobrovsky, Winnipeg’s Connor Hellebuyck and the New York Islanders’ Ilya Sorokin.

Over the summer time, Boston determined to commerce Linus Ullmark to Ottawa after he and Swayman cut up time over the previous two seasons. The Bruins felt that that they had two beginning goalies however selected to maintain Swayman, who’s six years youthful than Ullmark.

Selecting Swayman over Ullmark additionally meant that the Bruins picked a participant whose contract they’ve some management over. He can’t be eligible for unrestricted free company till he’s turned 27 or performed within the league for seven seasons.

Ullmark, an unrestricted free agent in 2025, would command a excessive annual wage subsequent summer time if he continues to play effectively for the Senators. Swayman signed a one-year, $3.475 million cope with the staff via final season after ending his three-year entry-level contract.

Nonetheless, commentary on an early September version of “Spittin’ Chiclets,” the NHL podcast hosted by TNT analyst Paul Bissonnette and Ryan Whitney, appeared to anger the Bruins. Whitney stated that the staff made Swayman a four-year, $24.8 million supply ($6.2 million per yr), but he alleged that the staff didn’t take the goalie’s calls for 3 weeks.

In a press convention throughout coaching camp on Sept. 18, normal supervisor Don Sweeney criticized Whitney’s claims whereas additionally expressing optimism {that a} new long-term deal can be signed. However behind stated optimism can be a looming deadline: A restricted free agent has till Dec. 1 to signal a contract, or he can be ineligible to play in any respect this season.

After spending a lot of their contending seasons within the higher realm of spenders, the Bruins are twenty seventh among the many 32 groups in whole salaries at $79.3 million however have round $8.6 million in cap area (sixth-most within the league). The price consciousness hasn’t impacted the staff’s competitiveness on the ice or its worth, because the Bruins ranked sixth on Sportico’s most up-to-date NHL staff valuations at $1.78 billion. Although Boston is making an attempt to impress on Swayman that point is of the essence, his agent’s response to Neely appears to point he’s not getting the message.

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