Things are getting uglier than initially expected in Boston and the Bruins know it.
That’s why the franchise is actively preparing for life without Jeremy Swayman, if only for the short-to-mid-term future, as contract negotiations with the 24-year-old goaltender remain at a standstill.
Swayman, still feeling the effects of a frustrating arbitration process, according to The Athletic’s Fluto Shinzawa, will keep refusing to accept a deal he doesn’t deem fair, standing firm in his position.
“Swayman remembers every slight and uses them as motivation,” Shinzawa wrote on Friday. “He doesn’t care for critiques. He has a long memory.”
In response to Swayman’s holdout, the Bruins are already making moves to fill the potential gap.
On Thursday, the team signed veteran netminder Kasimir Kaskisuo to a professional tryout agreement (PTO). Kaskisuo will join depth options Brandon Bussi and Ryan Bischel in what seems to be Boston’s contingency plan should the Swayman negotiations drag on.
That group of backup doesn’t include backup-turned-starter Joonas Korpisalo, acquired in a trade earlier this offseason that sent Linus Ullmark to the Ottawa Senators.
“For now, (Swayman) is committed to the term and salary he wants, whatever that may be,” Shinzawa wrote about the netminder’s negotiating stance. “So for the time being, Swayman is unwilling to bend to his employer.
“It aligns with his personality. Swayman is very confident in himself.”
The Bruins’ decision to explore other goaltending options suggests they are bracing for a prolonged standoff.
Meanwhile, Korspisalo discussed the saga and his new role as the Bruins’ no. 1 netminder if nothing changes in the negotiations between the club and Swayman.
“It doesn’t change my job and, quite frankly, I just want to focus on my job,” Korpisalo said on Thursday. “Of course, he’s a great guy. I got to work with him before the camp. Great guy, great goalie. “Just focusing on myself.”
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