We’ve got another edition of NHL rumours as we get through this week. Training camps are close to starting up soon. Players are starting to report to get ramped up for the season. However, general managers are already scrambling. The race to sign players before the start of the season is on. There are a number of restricted free agents yet to ink deals with training camps starting next week. One team trying to lock down a key RFA is the Boston Bruins. This edition of NHL rumours deals with another update on one of their future cornerstones.
All NHL rumours come from the original source and are subject to change.
Update on Talks with Boston Bruins Netminder
Rumour: TSN’s Darren Dreger appeared on TSN 1050 in Toronto to offer an update on talks between the Bruins and goalie Jeremy Swayman. The young goaltender is unsigned at this moment.
Analysis: Dreger stated that Swayman played the negotiations are perfectly as he could. Bruins General Manager Don Sweeney may be put into a lurch after dealing Linus Ullmark to the Ottawa Senators before inking a deal with Swayman.
Boston fans may be starting to sweat with Swayman not being signed to a deal. However, he has been practicing in preparation for the season. It seems that he’s wanting to play, but straightening out a contract is a top-priority.
Dreger mentioned that Bruins management may be reluctant to give Swayman a blockbuster deal. This is because the Anchorage, Alaska native has only played 132 career games.
Swayman took a big leap forward last season and wrested the starting job from Ullmark with a great Stanley Cup Playoff run. However, there’s always a concern if Swayman can repeat the feat this season and in other seasons.
What Does Swayman Want?
There had been chatter that Swayman wants something around $10 million and there’s one Bruins player making near that amount. Boston defenceman Charlie McAvoy makes $9.5 million and is the second-highest paid player behind star scorer David Pastrnak.
Dreger said that the 25-year-old wants something close to that amount. Boston has over $8.6 million in cap space, so the team would have to do some maneuvering in order to fit Swayman’s deal under the $88 million salary cap.
It’s likely that the salary cap goes up, so the cap hit may not be as painful. However, a higher cap hit is going to put Sweeney in a bit of a bind.
What’s Next?
Dreger mention that a top contender like Boston does want to have its top goalie sitting on the sidelines to start the season. This many sound like doom-and-gloom, but things don’t seem as dark as some make it out to be.
According to the insider, the two sides are talking something is going to get done. Dreger adds that the talks may be further along than what people think.
In any case, the Bruins know that the heat is on and getting Swayman into camp should be priority number one. Time is ticking before camp starts and both sides likely want to get to the business of playing hockey.
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