Bruins end contract dispute with star goalie just in time for season

It was a necessity for the Bruins to get Swayman signed because he figures to be one of the most important players on their roster this season. 

Swayman spent the past two years splitting the net 50-50 with Linus Ullmark, a duo that ended up being the best goaltending pairing in the league. Every single night the Bruins had a legitimate No. 1 goalie in their net, and it helped mask a lot of flaws that existed on the roster.

Ullmark was traded this offseason to the Ottawa Senators to clear salary-cap space, paving the way for Swayman to take over as the full-time starter.

The only problem was the contract negotiations turned ugly this past week, with Bruins management publicly revealing a "$64M" number to the media. Swayman and his representation responded by saying the Bruins' offer never reached that level, and that they would need a few days to figure out their next move.

In the end, cooler heads prevailed and Swayman ended up getting $66M over the next eight years. 

Since the start of the 2021-22 season Swayman's .916 save percentage is sixth best in the NHL among the 65 goalies that have appeared in at least 50 games during that time.