BOSTON — Publicly, things between Jeremy Swayman and the Boston Bruins are melting down. President Cam Neely issued his $64 million smackdown on Monday. Later on Monday, Lewis Gross, Swayman’s agent, termed Neely’s disclosure a concoction and called for a few days of reflection.
How Swayman reacts during this cooldown period will determine whether Gross and general manager Don Sweeney can fix a cracking bridge.
When it comes to his personality, Swayman is many things. He is confident, competitive, temperamental, eager to improve. These qualities put him in Andrei Vasilevskiy’s category of being an elite NHL goalie.
But Swayman is also another thing: sensitive.
Swayman’s skin is thin enough to interpret a goalie dad’s question as a critique of his rebound control. That is nothing compared to how personally Swayman took his employer’s arguments in his 2023 arbitration hearing.
Swayman’s quest to prove the Bruins wrong is a big part of why he’s standing his ground on his demand — whatever sum that may be. He is not one to back off his principles.
But if Swayman’s response to his hearing indicates how he feels about Neely, Sweeney, CEO Charlie Jacobs and coach Jim Montgomery raising the heat, it may not be a good sign for a neat outcome.
The Bruins’ bosses had business in mind during their Monday press conference at TD Garden. Both Jacobs and Sweeney said they had no problems with players pursuing fat paychecks.
It was business, in the same way, when the Bruins squared off against Swayman in a Toronto hotel last summer during their hearing. The employer’s mandate, after all, is to pay the player the least amount possible. As such, they will issue declarations the player will not enjoy hearing.
Swayman knew all of this. He filed for arbitration when organic negotiations produced nothing. Gross, like any proper agent, would have warned Swayman that hearings get uncomfortable.
Yet Swayman was rattled when he heard his employer’s arguments. He kept them in mind as he went on his postseason tear against the Toronto Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers. They are still occupying his thinking. This is who he is — the underdog Alaskan who has fueled himself with every slight.
It’s critical, then, how Swayman views the state of play. If he is able to view the disrepair as the product of business, he can proceed toward an agreement. He’s told his bosses it’s what he wants.
“I strongly believe that Jeremy wants to play here,” Neely said. “I’ve asked him flat out: ‘Do you want to play here?’ He does. I believe they’ll get a deal done. It’s unfortunate it’s not done today.”
If Swayman takes his bosses’ latest actions personally, then he’ll have to wait much longer for a resolution.
This is in his court. If Swayman is angry and stays that way, there is little chance he will lower his ask. Both sides will then proceed into the regular season without an agreement.
Being without their ace hurts the Bruins. Being without a job and income hurts Swayman more.
If he does not see a Black-and-Gold conclusion, Swayman may request a trade. That does not mean it will happen.
The Bruins would set the bar high. Not only that, an acquiring team would have to meet Swayman’s price, which he would be unlikely to decrease. Giving Swayman an eight-year, $76 million deal, for example, would smash the league’s current market for restricted free agent goalies. Whether any team would be willing to take that step is unknown.
The Bruins, meanwhile, have other issues besides Swayman’s contract to deal with in camp. Elias Lindholm and Brad Marchand will make their preseason debuts on Tuesday against the Philadelphia Flyers. Montgomery is still determining how his defensive pairs will settle. Sweeney has to decide whether Tyler Johnson will proceed from a professional tryout agreement to a contract.
“I get so immersed in the day-to-day,” Montgomery said. “As a coach, you’re always worried about, ‘How good are we today? Are we getting better?’ It’s a 24-hour window you’re looking into all the time.”
Montgomery said he has not spoken with his leadership group about Swayman’s contract. The players are monitoring the situation. For now, they are in Swayman’s corner. That might shift if the team starts poorly and they feel Swayman could help.
“There’s not a whole lot of talk about it,” Marchand said. “We all understand the situation the team and Sway are in. This is part of the game. It’s part of the business. It’s a part that nobody enjoys. Eventually a deal’s going to get done, and everyone’s going to move on and be fine.”
That will be up to Swayman.
(Photo: Rich Gagnon / Getty Images)
