The Bruins had a busy Day 1 of NHL free agency that included signing Elias Lindholm and Nikita Zadorov. One of their last things to check off their list is to sign Jeremy Swayman to a long-term deal — something both the goalie and Boston’s brass are confident in happening.
After Monday’s signings, the Bruins have $8,636,666 in cap space, according to CapFriendly, which should be enough to get Swayman locked up for the foreseeable future. General manager Don Sweeney said Monday the goalie remains a priority, and how their newcomers won’t get in the way of getting a deal done.
“Sway is a big part of this whole dynamic of what we’re trying to put together. It’s a priority for us, we’re going to continue to find a negotiated landing spot, and the timing is what it is, however long that takes,” Sweeney said. “It’s not impacted by what we did today. We’re in a great spot to find as I said, the best negotiated deal we can find for both sides.”
The Bruins issued a qualifying offer to Swayman ahead of the beginning of free agency. He has until July 15 to accept the one-year offer. Arbitration is still a possibility, but Sweeney said in May he didn’t expect for that to happen again. Swayman was open about his arbitration experience last year, and said he didn’t want to go through something like that again.
“After dealing with what I did this summer with arbitration, hearing things that a player should never hear, it feels pretty special to be in this situation,” Swayman said in January. “… What’s happened is happened, I’m living in the present moment. It just goes back to the experience. I wouldn’t be the human being I am and the player I am if I didn’t go through it.”
The Bruins traded Linus Ullmark to the Ottawa Senators ahead of the beginning of free agency, essentially committing to Swayman as their No. 1 goalie. They went with him in all but one game throughout Boston’s Stanley Cup Playoffs run this summer after rotating the duo since February.
Despite acquiring another goalie — Joonas Korpisalo — in the Ullmark trade, Sweeney said he sees prospect Brandon Bussi and Korpisalo competing for the backup role behind Swayman.
Sweeney has said time and time again it’s a priority to get Swayman signed to a long-term contract, and it’s just a matter of time before that comes to fruition.
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