Sign up for the Today newsletter
Get everything you need to know to start your day, delivered right to your inbox every morning.
Are the Bruins really facing a doomsday trade scenario with Jeremy Swayman?
"I strongly believe that Jeremy wants to play here. I’ve asked him flat-out, ‘Do you want to play here?’ And he does."
COMMENTARY
In a press conference on Monday where Cam Neely let months of frustration bubble to the surface, the Bruins president unearthed a sliver of optimism.
With the start of regular-season play then just eight days away, Jeremy Swayman remained without a contract — and off the ice for Boston. But Neely stressed that the Bruins’ talented, 25-year-old netminder would eventually don a black-and-gold sweater this season.
“I strongly believe that Jeremy wants to play here,” Neely said. “I’ve asked him flat-out, ‘Do you want to play here?’ And he does. I believe that we’ll get a deal done.”
Advertisement:
After an eventful Monday evening, one has to wonder if Swayman still holds that same staunch affinity for the Original Six franchise.
Just a few hours after Swayman’s agent, Lewis Gross, issued a scathing statement toward the Bruins and Neely about the validity of claims about a $64 million offer, longtime NHL insider Elliotte Friedman further taxed the collective cardiac integrity of Boston’s fanbase.
“The next move is the goalie’s,” Friedman reported on Sportsnet Monday night. “When Lewis Gross states he and his client ‘will take a few days to discuss where we go from here,’ they are calling timeout. They are making sure to avoid rash decisions they will regret.”
Advertisement:
The moment Neely said, “I have 64 million reasons why I’d be playing right now,” speculation began running rampant that Swayman would formally ask for a trade. The statement reveals one obvious truth — he is considering it.
“Never make life-changing decisions when you’re emotional. How does he feel over the next 24-48 hours? That determines where we go,” Friedman wrote.
It’s a nearly inconceivable (and potentially contention-window-shuttering) scenario for Boston to face just a week away from puck drop on the regular season.
After boasting the best goalie duo in the league, the Bruins could be forced to trudge ahead with a win-now roster — and neither Swayman or Linus Ullmark in place.
Swayman has all of the makings of an elite goaltender, especially over the span of a long-term contract. The University of Maine product is not only technically sound between the pipes. He’s rarely rattled by the chaos around him, and thrives off an internal drive fueled by criticism and slights.
That long memory and sizable chip on his shoulder have helped the Alaska native ascend from an unheralded fourth-round pick into one of the brightest young goalies in the league.
Advertisement:
That desire to prove others wrong also reared its head when Swayman harped on the pain of the contentious arbitration hearing that he went through last summer.
Neely’s comments, the ensuing flak directed towards Swayman’s camp, and the lack of any tangible progress in contract talks could further spark the competitive fire that Swayman has embraced in his career.
Or, it could spur the burning of whatever bridge links Swayman and a Bruins team that desperately wants him back in the fold.
If Swayman opts for a fresh start and requests a trade, it’d be a devastating development for a Bruins team seemingly set to anoint the next great franchise netminder this winter.
But even if Swayman and his camp are weighing his future in Boston, there’s no guarantee that the market is there for the Bruins to bite the bullet and move one of their most prized pieces.
As Bruins fans irked by the relatively underwhelming return in the Ullmark trade can attest, gauging the proper value of the goalie market is an endeavor about as fruitful as the Patriots’ trying to keep Jacoby Brissett clean in the pocket.
Advertisement:
Make no mistake, when it comes to a trade, the Bruins have the leverage in any deal involving a restricted free agent like Swayman.
A limited market … and a hefty price
Boston’s price should be steep for any No. 1 netminder, especially one with another two seasons of team control.
The Vancouver Canucks snagged the ninth overall pick in the 2013 NHL Draft when they dealt goalie Cory Schneider to the Devils, allowing them to select eventual captain Bo Horvat.
Boston would likely want far more than just a first-round pick, given Swayman’s high ceiling.
Another goalie with unrealized potential could be appealing for goalie coach Bob Essensa and the rest of Boston’s coaching staff. Instead of a haul of draft picks, the Bruins could pursue an impact NHLer, especially one that could shore up the top-six vacancy on Charlie Coyle’s line.
It would be a considerable ask for the Bruins, one that few teams would be able to meet — especially at this stage of the preseason.
With the regular season just a week away, there are many clubs that would love to add a 25-year-old goalie with Swayman’s potential. But very few of those franchises also:
- Have the necessary assets to make the Bruins bite on a haul of prospects, picks, or NHLers.
- Have the cap space on hand to accommodate whatever Swayman and his camp are seeking in terms of his sizable new contract.
“The reality is, it’s really hard to trade goaltenders right now,” former Bruins goalie Andrew Raycroft said on WEEI’s “Jones and Keefe” on Tuesday. “There’s 90 goalies that think they can play in the NHL right now, or teams think they can play in the NHL right now, around the league. The reason you trade Ullmark in the summer is because that’s when teams want their goaltenders. That’s when they want to get set up.
Advertisement:
“Beyond that, right now, everyone kind of feels like they’re set in goal right now, or certainly feel like they’re set or can’t afford a $10 million goalie right now. Because don’t forget, you got to figure one of these teams that wants him has to work $10 million into it if you are trading him. So, my answer to the question is, it’s really hard to trade goalies right now, especially ones that want to play 50 or 60 games, because most teams are set in that position right now.”
As of Tuesday night, the only teams in the NHL with more than $9.5 million in cap space (per PuckPedia) are the Utah Hockey Club, San Jose Sharks, Calgary Flames, Anaheim Ducks, and Columbus Blue Jackets.
Several of those rebuilding teams might covet a young goalie like Swayman, with a 2025 first-round pick holding plenty of appeal. A Utah team looking to make an impression in their new market could also be a potential landing spot, especially if Boston went for a legitimate top-six forward like Clayton Keller or Matias Maccelli.
Still, the number of viable landing spots for Swayman is limited this season. And again, the Bruins would have to be completely bowled over by a return in order to grant a trade request.
Even if Boston has to open a new season with Joonas Korpisalo in net, the Bruins believe they have the defensive fortitude in place to stay afloat, at least in the short term.
But any projected returns with first-round picks or a cost-controlled, 20-goal forward pales in comparison to the security that a No. 1 goalie like Swayman offers this Bruins team.
Advertisement:
After investing heavily this summer in a top-six pivot in Elias Lindholm and a bruising blueliner in Nikita Zadorov, the Bruins feel they’re well-equipped for another playoff push. But Boston’s ceiling is severely limited if Swayman isn’t standing as the last line of defense.
The poised goalie ranked fourth in the league last year in goals saved above expected at 18.4 (per MoneyPuck), routinely serving as the equalizer for a Bruins defensive structure prone to relinquishing Grade-A looks.
He’s coming off of an impressive playoff run where he posted a .933 save percentage over 12 starts. All signs point to even greater returns for Swayman moving forward.
“I couldn’t be more grateful to have a city, to have a home base that’s as supportive as Boston,” Swayman said after hearing his name chanted at TD Garden during Boston’s final game of the 2023-24 season. “And they mean so much more than just fans to me. It’s truly a home for me now. And to hear that was above and beyond. I’m just so grateful.”
The Bruins and Swayman can’t let hurt feelings and the sting of a contentious contract impasse splinter what should be an ideal partnership for all parties.
A trade request would stand as a nuclear option for Boston — and a sizable step back for a Bruins team aiming for greater heights with No. 1 in net.
To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address
Conversation
This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com