It’s time for another edition of NHL rumours. We know this may be the hard part in any hockey fan’s life. However, we still have plenty to talk about in the dog days of summer. We’re just over a month away from the start of training camps. This means teams need to get moving on signing their restricted free agents. One of the biggest RFAs left to sign is for the Boston Bruins. This edition of NHL rumours talks about one of the Bruins players that needs a new deal.
All NHL rumours come from the original source and are subject to change.
NHL Rumours
Status of Talks Between Boston Bruins and RFA Goalie
Rumour: Rory Boylen and Luke Fox of Sportsnet went over the list of current unsigned RFAs. Boston goalie Jeremy Swayman is at the top of a star-studded list.
Analysis: Swayman is the last goalie standing of the vaunted pairing that he formed with Linus Ullmark last season. Bruins General Manager Don Sweeney shipped Ullmark to the Ottawa Senators in the off-season to hand the crease to the 25-year-old netminder.
However, a contract has been harder to come by for the two parties. Boston has around $8.6 million in cap space and most of that is likely going to the Anchorage, Alaska native. However, there are still some sticking points that have prevented a deal from getting over the line.
Trouble Bruin?
Swayman’s asking price may have went up a ton with his performance in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. He posted a massive .933 save percentage against the Toronto Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers. Head coach Jim Montgomery scrapped the usual rotation and rode Swayman most of the way.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman said that talks began in March, but a contract hasn’t been inked. Swayman signed a prove-it deal and he more than delivered. This means he’s going to get a nice pay raise.
The Bruins goalie didn’t exercise his arbitration rights this time around. Boston is hoping to get some part of his unrestricted free agent years.
Finding the Middle Ground
Length seems to also be a major unknown for the two sides. Sweeney would love to get a medium or longer-term deal to keep Swayman around. However, it’s all abut finding that middle ground that will keep both sides happy. Sweeney wants to pay his goalie, but have enough room in case the Bruins need to make an addition for a Stanley Cup push.
One thing that’s puzzling is that the framework was finished before Ullmark was dealt. Sweeney is probably confident that he can get a deal done. However, it does seem like a risky proposition to not have mid to long-term deal ready for Swayman.
The pressure is on to make a deal to keep one of the key parts of Boston’s lineup together. Swayman has earned that big raise and is the future of the Bruins in the crease for the foreseeable future. It’s now time for Sweeney to get a deal done.
