There were conflicting reports on Tuesday regarding the status of Jeremy Swayman‘s contract with the Boston Bruins. Rob Reinhart of The Herald tweeted that Swayman and the Bruins had agreed to an eight-year, $8.5 million extension, much to the excitement of Bruins fans. However, Rich Keefe of Jones & Keefe later clarified on Wednesday that no deal had been finalized.
Further adding to the uncertainty, Bruins General Manager Don Sweeney confirmed on Wednesday that while he’s disappointed a deal hasn’t been reached, he remains optimistic that an agreement will be finalized by December 1.
This is the deadline for Swayman to sign a contract for the 2024-25 season.
The delay has raised concerns about the Bruins’ goaltending situation, leaving fans to wonder who will man the crease if negotiations drag out. With limited options, Boston may have to rely on an unproven AHL player or the league’s statistically lowest-ranked goalie in their quest for stability between the pipes. Head coach Jim Montgomery says he’s confident in the team’s group of goalies outside of Swayman.
Sweeney also mentioned he wasn’t pleased about how much talk there has been surrounding Swayman, most of which is inaccurate. Joe Haggerty of Boston Hockey Now cited comments from the GM at a media avail today, noting: “Don Sweeney clearly not happy about some of the reporting around the Swayman negotiations. Called the @spittinchiclets podcast the “Spitting Up On Yourself” podcast and said reports from them were “bulls–t” that he wasn’t calling Swayman or his camp.”
Needless to say, talks are not going well. While rumors of an $8.5 million by eight years deal was out there, clearly that’s not the case. It’s not clear the Bruins want to go above $8 million and Swayman has dug his heels in.
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