Tampa Bay Lightning Goalie Signs With Divisional Rival Bruins after contract set to end with the intention…
The Boston Bruins have added some much-needed goaltending depth by signing former Maple Leafs goalie Kasimir Kaskisuo to a professional try-out (PTO) agreement amid the ongoing Jeremy Swayman holdout. Swayman, the Bruins presumed starter and No. 1 goalie for next season assuming both sides agree, has yet to sign a contract extension. That forced Boston to leave him out of their training camp roster, opening a spot in net that will be filled by Kaskisuo.
“General Manager Don Sweeney announced today, September 19, that the team has signed goaltender Kasimir Kaskisuo to a Professional Tryout Agreement (PTO),” the NHL published on its website. The former Maple Leafs goalie, already 30 years old, has spent much of his career bouncing between leagues. With only two NHL games under his belt, the Finnish netminder has been more of a steady presence in the AHL, including a five-season stint with the Toronto Marlies.
Last season, Kaskisuo played 13 games for the Laval Rocket, a Montreal Canadiens affiliate team, posting a .909 save percentage and a 2.79 goals-against average. While Kaskisuo has yet to prove himself as an NHL regular, he will at least bring some experience and consistency to a Bruins roster in need of depth while waiting to close the Swayman file. The Bruins traded Linus Ullmark earlier in the summer to the Ottawa Senators and received fellow goalie Joonas Korpisalo in return. Albeit considered a backup in an ideal scenario, Korpisalo is now projected to start the season as the No. 1 goalie barring a Swayman extension.
The lack of depth behind Korpisalo-featuring Brandon Bussi and Michael DiPietro-has prompted the Bruins to bring in Kaskisuo to bolster their net during the training camp and exhibition period of the preseason.
By the time you read this, goaltender Jeremy Swayman could have a new contract with the Boston Bruins or he and Bruins GM Don Sweeney could be settling in for a long standoff. On Wednesday, Sweeney told reporters the 25-year-old RFA wouldn’t report to training camp until a new contract was finalized. He expressed disappointment that a deal couldn’t be struck but remains optimistic they’ll reach an agreement before the 5 p.m. ET deadline on Dec. 1.
If Swayman isn’t signed by then, he’ll be ineligible to play the remainder of this season. Neither side will want that to happen. As Sweeney pointed out, it’ll be detrimental to the goaltender and the Bruins the longer he goes unsigned. Swayman will lose a year of work and wages while the Bruins could struggle without their starting netminder. Swayman completed a one-year, $3.75-million arbitration-awarded contract last summer. His negotiations took an ominous turn in late August when a report claimed he sought an average annual value of $10 million. On Sept. 6, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman claimed the young goaltender sought $9.5 million. The Athletic’s Fluto Shinzawa citedSpittin’ Chiclets podcaster Ryan Whitney claiming the Bruins offered $6.2 million on a four-year deal.
