We are four days into training camp for the Boston Bruins for the 2023-24 season and they are still without top goalie Jeremy Swayman who is an unsigned restricted free agent. On Wednesday, GM Don Sweeney blasted one report from over the summer and seemed frustrated when answering questions.
At some point, you think the two sides will eventually come together on a deal, hopefully long before a Dec. 1 deadline, where things can get sticky for the entire season. Right now the goaltending is in question with Joonas Korpisalo, acquired from the Ottawa Senators in the Linus Ullmark trade back in June. He is coming off a dreadful season with the Sens and hoping for a big turnaround in Boston is a pretty big ask. Brandon Bussi is a promising goalie, but he's not ready to jump in and be a No. 1 now.
NHL insider addresses possibility of Bruins trading Jeremy Swayman
Just how this ends between Swayman and the Bruins remains to be seen. On his most recent episode of 32Thoughts podcast, Elliotte Friedman was asked by some people around the NHL whether or not it might come down to Sweeney having to trade his netminder.
“I had some people asking me, do you think the Bruins will pivot and consider trading Swayman, just give up and go?" said Friedman. "I haven’t spoken to Don Sweeney, he’s trying to keep a low profile, aside from making it clear that he’s not always happy with all of the reporting here, but my impressions are that the Bruins do not want to trade Swayman.”
If it comes to Sweeney having to trade Swayman, then what a disaster it would be. I get it, Swayman is likely still upset about what happened last summer when they had to go to arbitration to settle his contract, and maybe rightfully so. The Bruins must be thinking that he has yet to be a full-time NHL goalie after splitting time with Ullmark before his trade the last couple of seasons.
There has to be a resolution before Dec. 1 and if there isn't then it would put a huge dark cloud over the Black and Gold's season. Trading Swayman feels like a rather crazy option and it's one that the Bruins would likely not consider.
