With each passing day we get closer to Oct. 8 when the Boston Bruins open the season against the Florida Panthers in Sunrise. Also with each passing day, we are getting closer and closer to Boston Bruins fans west case scenario becoming reality, no Jeremy Swayman in goal on Opening Night.
Swayman remains out of training camp without a new deal and after both sides did not file arbitration for a second straight season, we are looking at Boston’s once proud strongest position on the team now potentially the weakest. Not a great way to begin an 82-game NHL season. With each passing day, Bruins fans level of concern goes up and one NHL insider thinks it rising quickly.
NHL insider rates Bruins level of concern with no Jeremy Swayman contract
On his recent episode of The Chris Johnston podcast, the NHL insider shared what he believed is the Bruins' level of worry about Swayman not putting ink to paper yet. After trading Linus Ullmark to the Ottawa Senators in late June, the Black and Gold are looking at the possibility of beginning the season with a Joonas Korpisalo/Brandon Bussi duo between the pipes.
"(Swayman) could sign later (Monday) and be at practice on Tuesday," Johnston said. "There’s still time. But the longer it goes without any sense of movement, the closer it gets to that panic option. This is a pretty important player, after all. Every day that Swayman remains unsigned, the concern meter grows a little bit in Boston."
Everyone knows how important of a player Swayman is for the Bruins, but it appears that both sides are not going to give in to a deal until the sides come to a mutual agreement that is a good deal for both sides. It’s part of the business. As are all the rumors that are floated out there daily.
Johnston is also right, Swayman could sign now and be out there tomorrow as he spent the summer in Boston training at Warrior Ice Arena, which is what makes the situation even more frustrating. It feels like the Bruins lost some negotiating leverage when they sent Ullmark to the Senators with no deal in place with Swayman.
Now both sides appear to be at an impasse and it doesn’t look like either is going to give in. With each passing day, it becomes a little more nerve-racking that Swayman will not be in the net against the Panthers in two weeks. It may become a reality unless something happens in the next 14 days.