Bruins & Jeremy Swayman Nearing Agreement on Unknown-Term Contract after Tampa Bay Lightning offer…
Contract negotiations between the Boston Bruins and goaltender Jeremy Swayman appear to be moving forward after a three-week standstill between both sides. That said, the latest reports point toward the possibility of both parties agreeing to a bridge contract or a short-term deal instead of a long-term commitment.
According to reports from The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta and TSN’s Darren Dreger, the Bruins and their No. 1 goalie are confident a deal will be reached, but Boston seems to be hesitant on signing Swayman to a long-term deal considering his “limited” NHL experience. As reported by Pagnotta on Sportsnet 960’s “Big Show” on Monday, “Both sides remain confident a deal will be ironed out as contract talks continued over the weekend,” Pagnotta reported on Sportsnet 960’s Big Show on Monday, September 9. Meanwhile, during an appearance on TSN 1050’s First Up also on Monday, Dreger echoed this optimism for reaching an agreement.
“He’s confident they’re going to get that deal done,” Dreger said about Swayman. “I think they’re going to get something done. “I’m not saying it’s imminent, but I do think the negotiations are probably closer than what we’re reading about.” Dreger also highlighted why Boston may be hesitant to offer Swayman a large, long-term deal, given his limited number of NHL games played to date.
“When you look at the resume of Jeremy Swayman, he hasn’t played a ton in the National Hockey League, so I think Boston is a little reluctant to give him the megabucks,” Dreger said. Swayman has been training in Boston with his Bruins teammates throughout the summer, preparing for the 2024–25 season. Career-wise, the goalie has only appeared in 132 regular-season games since debuting in 2021. Last season, however, Swayman was once again pivotal in Boston’s run to the second round of the playoffs.
The netminder recorded a 25–10–8 record in 44 games, with a 2.53 goals-against average, a .916 save percentage, and three shutouts in the regular season. He put up a 6-6 postseason record leading the field with a .933 save percentage in the playoffs.
The Boston Bruins and restricted free agent goaltender Jeremy Swayman are at a standstill in their ongoing contract negotiations. The No. 1 goalie of the Bruins entering next season, assuming he re-signs with Boston, has not been able to get in touch with the franchise to discuss a deal, according to Ryan Whitney on the Spittin’ Chiclets podcast.
According to Whitney, citing a source in the September 4 episode of his podcast, the Bruins “have not contacted or returned Swayman’s calls” in three weeks as they remain far apart on key contract details. There have been all sorts of reports touching on Swayman’s asking price with the maximum figure reported quoted at over $10 million on annual average value. Whitney suggested that Swayman’s camp is pushing for a deal similar to Charlie McAvoy’s eight-year, $9.5 million contract with the Bruins.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman said on September 4 that he’s “not surprised” by the delayed agreement, adding that he “didn’t hear” about Swayman asking for $10 million. Daily Faceoff insider Frank Seravalli, appearing on SN960 The FAN’s Big Show, believes Swayman asked for “somewhere in the mid-8s” million per year.” Seravalli also reported that Boston was “in the low 6s,” adding, “I think that’s a pretty sizeable gap that hasn’t been bridged yet.”
