Speaking on a radio station in Bangor, Maine, Boston Bruins goalie Jeremy Swayman confirmed that contract talks between his agent Lewis Gross and the Bruins brass remain ongoing.
“Just one day at a time. It’s a fun time to be a part of it,” the 24-year-old restricted free agent-to-be told 92.9 FM The Ticket on Wednesday.
While he didn’t indicate what, if any, progress has been made in the contract talks, the always positive Jeremy Swayman didn’t seem worried at all that things could go south at the negotiating table. Instead he sung his praises of the Boston Bruins and shared his excitement about his future as a member of the team.
“I think the team’s going to be really special in years to come and obviously, I want to do everything I can to be a Bruin. I absolutely love wearing that Spoked-B,” Swayman said.
The heartbreak of the Bruins’ stunning seven-game first round series loss to the Florida Panthers after posting the best regular season record ever has not deterred Swayman. Instead he’s treasuring the memories of the regular season journey and channeling the disappointment of the playoff loss into motivation.
“I mean, it was the most fun I’ve ever had playing hockey and it was all thanks to the guys in the locker room and the fanbase we had and continue to have,” Swayman said of the 2022-23 regular season. “I’m excited from the experience we gained this year to move forward and being a part of this young group of core guys that are able to break these records and be a part of something that is never going to be forgotten.
And again, the ultimate goal wasn’t achieved but that’s something that we’re going to keep and have as a huge motivator throughout the summer and really excited to see how we respond again next season.”
One of the biggest question marks for the Boston Bruins this offseason has been what will happen with the team’s Jennings Trophy-winning tandem of Swayman and Vezina Trophy finalist Linus Ullmark?
The questions surrounding Ullmark and Swayman have nothing to do with performance but rather can the Boston Bruins afford to keep both goalies under a NHL salary cap that will only go up $1 million to $83.5 million next season.
After going 40-6-1 with a 1.89 GAA and .938 save percentage, Ullmark has two more seasons left on his contract that carries a $5 million cap hit. The 29-year-old goalie’s value on the NHL trade market may never be higher and that’s why, as confirmed here numerous times, the Bruins are at least listening to trade offers for Ullmark.
Meanwhile, Swayman is a RFA with arbitration rights, and is expected to get a hefty pay raise from his expiring entry-level contract that carried a $925,000 cap hit the last three seasons. Many expect his new cap hit to be upwards of $4 million after Swayman went 24-6-4 with a 2.27 GAA and .920 save percentage this past season. Swayman obviously has great value on the NHL trade market as well, and it’s Bruins general manager Don Sweeney’s duty to listen on him as well, but so far, it’s been quiet when it comes to Swayman trade chatter.
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