The Bruins’ training camp begins in less than a month, and Jeremy Swayman remains unsigned. While there has been some concern among the fan base, there has also been a lot of optimism that a deal will be reached.
Team president Cam Neely became the latest to confirm that a long-term contract will be concluded, but he also emphasized that discussions are not always easy to traverse.
“Something will be done. There’s no doubt,” Neely stated during his interview on “The Rich Shertenlieb Show” on Thursday morning. “Not all negotiations go as smoothly as you would want. I know our fans would love to see something done by now. But I am certain that both sides will reach an accord before too long here.”
Swayman emerged as Boston’s top goalie throughout the regular season, especially in the playoffs. He played all but one game for the Bruins throughout their run, which ended in the second round when they were ousted by the Florida Panthers. He concluded the regular season with a 25-10-8 record, 2.53 goals against average, and.916 save percentage.
The Bruins boasted one of the NHL’s best goaltending duos in Swayman and Linus Ullmark, but with the latter traded to the Ottawa Senators this summer, Boston has virtually placed all of its trust in Swayman to remain the No. 1 goalkeeper for the foreseeable future.
“Jeremy, he’s a guy that’s so focused and so determined,” Neely was saying. “He’s quite confident in himself. So we decided to ride with Jeremy. Linus contributed significantly to the organization, both on and off the ice. He’s an excellent person. However, we felt it was unlikely that we would re-sign him (after 2024-25). So it was best to relocate him.
Swayman is a restricted free agent, which means other teams can sign him under an offer sheet. However, if any team in need of a goaltender went that route, they would most certainly have to spend at least $9 million and numerous draft picks.
It’s a quiet offseason, but the Bruins have always prioritized keeping Swayman around for the long haul. Now it’s just a waiting game to see when it happens.
Leave a Reply