Since free agency calmed down in July, all eyes for the Boston Bruins this summer have been on Jeremy Swayman and his contract situation. Still unsigned, the former University of Maine goaltender recently spoke about his situation and sent a message to the fanbase and front office.
With training camp and preseason games getting underway in a couple of weeks, all eyes are going to be on whether Swayman will be signed and on the ice with newly acquired Joonas Korpisalo. Judging by the former Ottawa Senators goalie who was part of the trade package for Linus Ullmark, we can only hope that Swayman is indeed in camp. If he is going to be in camp, one Boston beat writer suggested that both parties could end up going down an unforeseen road to settle his contract.
NHL beat writer suggests Bruins and Jeremy Swayman working on bridge deal?
Kevin Paul Dupont of the Boston Globe wrote that a bridge deal between Swayman and the Bruins is becoming more and more likely. If that happens, it's likely to be a three or four-year deal for the netminder, but would not solve the long-term issue. Here is what Dupont wrote,
"Given that the Bruins have yet to use Swayman as a full-time No. 1, they are looking to ink him to a bridge deal, one of maybe 3-4 years, scaled up from his $3.475 million of last season. The number could be, say, $22 million-$24 million if stretched to four years, at which point he then would be eligible to become an unrestricted free agent at age 29."
The big mistake in all of this was made by the Bruins, who traded away Ullmark who would have been insurance in case we got into the position we have on Sept. 1, Swayman is still unsigned. Neither the player nor the team filed for arbitration after last summer's mess, but with nothing done yet, it makes you wonder just what is going to happen and a bridge deal is becoming more and more likely with each passing day.