Jeremy Swayman At The Center Of Bruins' $64 Million Offer

Jeremy Swayman At The Center Of Bruins' $64 Million Offer

BOSTON — President Cam Neely suggested Monday that the team has made an eight-year offer to unsigned restricted free agent goaltender Jeremy Swayman at $8 million annually. “I don’t want to get into the weeds with what his ask is,” Neely stated at a news conference at TD Garden. “But I know that I have 64 million reasons why I’d be playing right now.” Neely did not disclose Swayman’s ask but said he was surprised by it. This aligns with Swayman’s personality, especially following his uncomfortable 2023.

According to Neely, Swayman wants to set a new market for goalies, especially those under team control. “What his ask is and what we believe his comp group is,” he noted, “are two different things.” General manager Don Sweeney mentioned he remains in contact with Lewis Gross, Swayman’s agent, stating that they are not considering trading Swayman.

“Ultimately, we’re a better team, as I’ve said all along, if Jeremy is part of our hockey club,” Sweeney expressed. “That’s my intention. That’s my wish. I’ll continue to work to do that.” With only three preseason games left, it is likely Swayman will miss regular-season time, even with a pending agreement.

Coach Jim Montgomery designated another goalie for the regular-season opener against the Washington Capitals on Oct. 8, regardless of Swayman’s situation. “Where we are in camp right now... he’s going to be our Game 1 starter,” Montgomery shared concerning goalie Joonas Korpisalo.

How good is the offer? Swayman would become the fifth-highest-paid goalie in the NHL under the Bruins’ offer, falling behind stars like Andrei Vasilevskiy. This significant payday comes despite Swayman never being a regular-season No. 1 goalie.

Can Korpisalo fill the void? Korpisalo has performed well in preseason, but he is recovering from a challenging previous season. Swayman boasted a strong 25-10-8 record last year with notable stats as well.