The Boston Bruins have three games from the preseason stand to sign Jeremy Swayman before their regular-season opener on October 8. Whether that will happen remains to be seen.
Elliotte Friedman discussed the idea of trade, unimaginable though it may be, on 32 Ideas last week. However, this much is clear: the Bruins are not willing to trade Swayman, even if they are in a contract standoff.
Three reasons:
1. The Bruins need him.
Joonas Korpisalo has looked sharp in two preseason games. The former Ottawa Senators stopped 37 of 40 shots in the Bruins’ 3-2 overtime loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday.
“Really good. “Really good,” coach Jim Montgomery told reporters in Philadelphia. “He reads the play quickly. He gets through seam plays. He comes out at the top of the crease and doesn’t give people much to look at. They hit him right in the stomach or shoot it high. Because given his size, he doesn’t give up much to see at the net.”
Meanwhile, Brandon Posey has room to grow.
The 26-year-old struggled in his two pre-season matches. He struggled to find pucks efficiently through traffic and fell behind on his points and allowed rebounds. Not only that, but he was depositing pucks in dangerous areas.
So, even if Korpisalo is ready for the opener against the Florida Panthers, it’s unknown how long he could be in net. Bussi has yet to appear in the NHL.
The Bruins start the regular season easy with no back-to-back games in October and a manageable travel schedule. But riding Korpisalo most days of the month might go against their preferences.
Swayman’s postseason outbursts against the Toronto Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers indicate he’s ready to become an elite goaltender in the NHL. Korpisalo described Soyman as “the complete package”. It’s a perfect description. Swayman has it all: hockey sense, competitiveness, technique, size and athleticism. At 25 years old, Swayman should be the Bruins’ go-to target for the next eight seasons.
And perhaps beyond that.
2. The Bruins will raise the trade price to high levels.
The Bruins acquired 2024 first-round picks Korpisalo and Mark Kastelic for Linus Ullmark. The 2023 Vezina Trophy winner was 30 years old at the time of the trade. He has one year remaining on his contract.
The Bruins want more for Swayman, even though he is unsigned. He is six years younger than his former partner and has been under the team’s control for two more seasons. Swayman’s best years are coming.
Not many goaltenders of Swayman’s lineage get traded. Perhaps the closest thing to a comparison is when the Vancouver Canucks traded then-27 Corey Schneider to the New Jersey Devils in June 2013. The Marblehead native was Roberto Luongo’s backup for three seasons.
Price: No. 9 pick in the 2013 draft. The Canucks selected Bo Horvat, their future captain.
Even that won’t be enough for the Bruins. They will need an NHL goaltender as part of the comeback.
3. The acquiring team would be in the same position as the Bruins.
You can make a case that the Utah Hockey Club would raise its hand for Swayman. He’s better than Karel Vemelka and Connor Ingram.
But Utah, according to CapWages, has just over $9 million in cap space. According to Sportsnet, Swayman wants to be paid the same as Charlie McAvoy, who earns $9.5 million annually.
If Swayman goes that long without signing a deal with the Bruins, it’s unlikely he’ll back down on his demand once they’re traded. He is not designed to compromise, even with another club. An acquiring team like Utah would have to meet Swayman’s price, which could require Utah to change salary.
This way, Utah would pay twice: first on the trade market, then on the dotted line.
Bottom line
Swayman wants to become a Bruin. The feeling is mutual. Hence, negotiations will continue, despite the difficulty of the process so far.
(Photo: Maddy Meyer/Getty Images)
