As the end of August approaches, the saga of Jeremy Swayman and the Boston Bruins continues. After a report that Swayman could potentially be seeking a $10 million annual average value (AAV) on a long-term contract surfaced on Monday. The Alaska native is a restricted free agent again this offseason after going to arbitration last year, which he has stated left some “resentment” towards the process and “the people who support you”. Now it seems that Swyman wants the best possible deal from Boston, who has a little over $9 million in salary cap space available.
Entering just his fourth full season with the Bruins, Swayman is already one of the league’s top goaltenders, rated in the top five by the NHL Network recently. At just 25 years old, the former UMaine star is in line for a huge contract extension. Swyaman and the Bruins reportedly remain far off in contract talks, and the possibility grows that Swayman will hold out of training camp if a new deal is not reached by the time veterans report on September 18.
Swayman also has a different, expanded viewpoint after going through a grueling negotiation process before. The netminder recently joined the Shut Up Mark Podcast to discuss his career to this point and where his contract talks stand.
“I’ve educated myself. I understand the business side of it all,” he said. “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 guys that are gonna be in my shoes down the line.”
Last offseason, the two sides settled on $3.475 million on a one-year deal for Swyaman and then elected to bypass arbitration this summer. The Bruins traded their other elite goaltender Linus Ullmark in June, leaving the door for Swayman to be the guy in net. Did Boston hand all of the leverage to Swayman? Veteran Joonas Korpisalo was acquired in the Ullmark deal and could take the reins if Swayman is not on the roster by the season opener on October 8.
As time goes by, the Bruins and Swayman seem to be in a staredown. The question will be, who flinches? Swayman feels an obligation to himself and also to future goalies and what the market for goaltenders will become after this contract is signed. It is a tricky negotiation at this point, and it looks like Jeremy Swayman isn’t giving in any time soon.
