As we come to the end of August, there is still one player who needs a contract for the upcoming season for the Boston Bruins. Goaltender Jeremy Swayman is still unsigned as a restricted free agent and after trading away Linus Ullmark in June to the Ottawa Senators, GM Don Sweeney must sign Swayman for not only this year but the future.
Neither Swayman nor the Bruins filed for arbitration this summer after doing so a year ago and it left a sour taste in the former University of Maine standout. There were reports earlier this week from Rich Keefe of WEEI that Swayman is seeking around $10 million AAV and currently, the Bruins only have $8.6 million in cap space remaining. NHL Insider Elliotte Friedman also mentioned on his 32Thoughts podcast that Swayman and Bruins weren’t close on a new deal. On a recent podcast, Swayman opened up about the negotiations regarding his contract.
Jermey Swayman speaks about contract negotiations
Speaking on the Shut Up Marc podcast, Swayman was asked about these negotiations and offered an answer that goes back to last summer and also this summer’s negotiations.
"If you were to ask me that same question a year ago, I would answer it truthfully, and I would say it's scary’’ said Swayman. “It's a lot of resentment towards people that want you to succeed, and when you're not getting compensated for your endless efforts and doing what you best, it's a nerve-wracking feeling because it's your family you're fighting for
“The answer I'm going to give you this year is that I've educated myself, and that I understand the business side of it all. And it's given me a complete new mindset of understanding the business and how to react to it. I understand the cap is going up and where it will be in years. I understand my comparables and how I can't ruin the goalie market for other guys that are going to be in my shoes down the line."
Last season he was awarded a one-year, $3.475 million contract which he feels like a discount deal and that’s not something he’s willing to do this time. It feels like Swayman did learn a lot from last summer’s contract negotiations and won’t settle on a deal until he gets to or very close to a certain number.
We are still three weeks away from training camp beginning at Warrior Ice Arena and although there is time, it makes you wonder whether he’ll be on the ice or not the first day. All signs point to him wanting to stay, but it appears he’ll do it at the price that he thinks is fair value for him. The plot thickens.