Swayman Continues To Talk And Play Into Big Pay Day

The Boston Bruins could regret taking goalie Jeremy Swayman to arbitration and not electing the two-year option on the $3.4 million AAV he was awarded.

Now, instead of having Jeremy Swayman locked up for another season at a $3.4 million salary cap hit, the Bruins will need to give their new No. 1 goalie a hefty pay raise with more term. Swayman emerged as the team’s top option between the pipes, going 6-6 with a 2.15 GAA and a .933 save percentage in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs. This followed up a brilliant regular season that saw the 25-year-old, 6-foot-3, 195-pound netminder go 25-10-8 with a 2.53 GAA and a .916 save percentage. Now, Swayman is set to become a restricted free agent with arbitration rights on July 1 and is expected to hit pay dirt.

“I’d say 6×6,” one NHL executive source told Boston Hockey Now on Monday morning. He’s earned it, and he’s arguably the best American goalie and an elite goalie in the NHL now.”

As per team policy not to discuss contract negotiations with the media, the Boston Bruins have been quiet regarding extending Swayman on a long-term deal with a big pay raise. However, Swayman, just as he has done on the ice, continues to say all the right things off of it.

“I am,” Swayman replied on Sunday when asked if he expected to be with the Bruins next season. I’m confident my agent and management will figure out the details this summer, and I’m looking forward to it. It’s everything to me. It’s obvious how much I care about this organization, how much I care about this team, and how much I care about this city. I wouldn’t want it to be any other way.”

Swayman has always remained positive with the media regarding his signing a contract extension with the Bruins, but he also made a point early in the season to let it be known he didn’t particularly enjoy going to arbitration.

“That’s really special,” Swayman replied when asked about being selected to the NHL All-Star game last January. “First and foremost, it couldn’t have happened without the team in front of me. Huge kudos to them for allowing that to happen, but after dealing with what I did this summer with arbitration and hearing things that a player should never hear, it feels pretty special to be in this situation. I’m extremely honored, and I’m really excited to join ‘Pasta’ [David Pastrnak] and ‘Monty’ [Jim Montgomery].”

Whatever the Bruins said Swayman needed to do better in arbitration, he has certainly done that and more this past season, and now it’s on the Bruins to reward him. To do so, they will likely trade Swayman’s hugging partner, Linus Ullmark, even if the 2023 Vezina Trophy winner wants to stay because there’s no way the Bruins should have upwards of $11 million tied up between the pipes. That’s on Boston Bruins general manager Don Sweeney to figure out and then show Swayman the money!