Bruins and Jeremy Swayman Are Facing a ‘Significant Discrepancy’ in Negotiations
The Boston Bruins and restricted free agent goaltender Jeremy Swayman are still significantly apart in their contract negotiations as the regular season approaches and training camps near.
Daily Faceoff insider Frank Seravalli, speaking on SN960 The FAN’s Big Show, mentioned that while the situation isn’t as dire as some recent reports suggest, there is still a considerable gap between the two parties.
“I think (Swayman) was somewhere in the mid-8s (million per year) earlier this summer and I think the Bruins were in the low 6s,” Seravalli said. “I think that’s a pretty sizeable gap that hasn’t been bridged yet.”
Seravalli speculated on Swayman’s salary demand, quoting it at around $8 million AAV compared to the reported demand of $10 million AAV that popped up before Seravalli shared his intel.
This disconnect has made it difficult for both sides to come to an agreement, despite the Bruins’ clear need to lock in Swayman following the trade of Linus Ullmark to the Ottawa Senators.
Frank Seravalli commented that with Linus Ullmark’s trade, it’s clear that Swayman is a crucial part of the Bruins’ future and their core’s stability, as goaltending has been the team’s backbone. However, he also mentioned that if there is a philosophical disagreement about what a goaltender should be paid, and given Swayman’s performance and the expected salary range, it’s understandable why there might be a disconnect in negotiations.
As of September, the Bruins have $8.6 million in cap space, which should be sufficient to sign Swayman to an extension, whether it’s a long-term deal or a shorter bridge contract.
