A big storyline surrounding the Bruins this offseason is signing Jeremy Swayman to a contract extension. General manager Don Sweeney has said several times this offseason that it’s a priority to get the goalie locked up, and Swayman said he was confident something would get done this summer.
There was a bit of clarity on the situation over the weekend when neither the Bruins nor Swayman elected to go to arbitration. Swayman was vocal about the process he went through last season and stated it was something he never wanted to go through again.
Arbitration happens when the team and player can’t find common ground on a contract. Last season, the Bruins and Swayman were reportedly $2.8 million apart — Boston offered Swayman $2 million while the goalie requested $4.8 million before being awarded $3.475 million for the 2023-24 NHL season.
Now that arbitration is officially off the table for the summer, Swayman’s camp and the Bruins can continue to work toward a new contract. Swayman is a restricted free agent, so he can receive contract offers from any other team, but Boston can match any offer the 25-year-old is presented.
Swayman emerged as Boston’s No. 1 goalie last season. Even though he split time with Linus Ullmark, it was Swayman who played all but one game during the Bruins’ Stanley Cup Playoffs run that ultimately ended in the second round. The 25-year-old gave his team a chance to win every night and stole games to keep the Bruins alive.
The Bruins traded Ullmark to the Ottawa Senators in June, essentially solidifying they want Swayman to be their franchise goalie. Sweeney also mentioned Joonas Korpisalo — who came to Boston in the Ullmark trade — and prospect Brandon Bussi will have a competition to earn the backup spot behind Swayman.
Boston was busy on Day 1 of NHL free agency and signed a few players to build out its roster, including Elias Lindholm and Nikita Zadorov. Despite the two getting long-term, lucrative contracts, the Bruins still have $8,636,666 in cap space, according to CapFriendly, which should be enough to get Swayman signed to a deal that will keep him in Boston for the foreseeable future.
