Cam Neely Discusses Jeremy Swayman’s Contract Negotiations With the Bruins
With less than a month remaining before training camp begins, Jeremy Swayman still hasn’t signed a new contract with the Boston Bruins. Despite the ticking clock, Bruins president Cam Neely isn’t worried about the situation.
Neely is confident that a deal will be reached soon and provided an update on the negotiations during his appearance on “The Rich Shertenlieb Show” on Thursday.
“Something will get done, there’s no doubt,” Neely stated. “Not every negotiation goes as smoothly as one might hope.
I understand our fans want a resolution sooner, but I am fully confident that an agreement will be reached in the near future.”
After sharing goaltending responsibilities with Linus Ullmark for the last three seasons, Swayman has solidified his role as Boston’s primary goaltender for both now and the future, thanks to an impressive playoff performance where he recorded a 2.15 goals-against average and a .933 save percentage over 12 games.
Swayman’s exceptional play prompted the Bruins to trade Ullmark to the Ottawa Senators this offseason in exchange for goalie Joonas Korpisalo—Swayman’s expected backup—forward Mark Kastelic, and a first-round draft pick. According to Neely, the Bruins likely weren’t planning to re-sign Ullmark and chose to move on from him as he enters the final year of his contract.
The trade clearly indicates that the Bruins are prepared for Swayman to assume a larger role in the coming seasons. Now, they just need to finalize his contract.
“Jeremy has only played 44 regular-season games, which is noteworthy but not as extensive as 60 or 65 games. Linus and Jeremy both contributed significantly to our success over the past few years, and they are both excellent goaltenders,” Neely explained. “Jeremy is incredibly focused, determined, and confident, and given his age, we believe it’s the right time to commit to him.”
