Boston Bruins restricted free agent goalie Jeremy Swayman has seemingly gotten the best contract offer he will get from the Bruins. Any subsequent offer going forward will likely be less.
On Monday, Bruins team president Cam Neely told the media that the Bruins had offered Swayman a $64 million contract.
“Well, I don’t want to get into the weeds with what his ask is, but I know that I have 64 million reasons why I’d be playing right now,” Neely replied when asked if he could divulge any details on the contract demands of Swayman and his agent Lewis Gross.
The Eye Test Podcast reported just that last week, stating that the Bruins had offered Swayman an eight-year contract that carried a $8 million AAV. After Neely’s comments at his team’s annual start of the season press conference that also included CEO and Alternate Governor Charlie Jacobs, General Manager Don Sweeney, and Head Coach Jim Montgomery, a trusted NHL source said that the offer is expected to be off the table if Swayman isn’t signed by the Bruins’ 2024-25 regular season opener against the defending Stanley Cup Champions, the Florida Panthers on Oct. 8.
“They’re very likely going to pull that off the table once the season starts,” the source told Sick Podcast News. “When that happens, it will decrease after a certain amount of games and continue to do so as the season progresses.”
That’s not surprising, considering what I reported on RG.org Monday morning just before Neely’s comments and on The Eye Test last week. Swayman’s stance on behalf of the NHL goalie fraternity, and in effect, the NHLPA, likely didn’t sit well with Boston Bruins owner Jeremy Jacobs, who, in the eyes of many around the NHL, is a ‘Hawk’ within the NHL Board of Governors.
“I would imagine when he got word of that, he wasn’t too happy,” a veteran NHL executive told RG.org. “He has always been and still is an influential figure in the NHL Board of Governors. He is the main reason we have an NHL salary cap, and when one of his players is in a contract battle, he takes a stance for the players. I just can’t see that going well.”
That led another NHL executive to wonder to RG.org if someone from within the NHLPA had gotten to Swayman and his agent, Lewis Gross.
“I’m not saying anyone but Gross, Swayman, and [Bruins GM] Don Sweeney are pulling the strings, but it’s clear this has become more than just the Bruins and Swayman,” the source said.
This was about Swayman’s comments to Marc Lewis of Savage Sports in mid-August.
“If you were to ask me that question a year ago, I would answer truthfully and say “it’s scary, it’s a lot of resentment towards people that want you to succeed. And when you’re not being compensated for your endless efforts…it’s a nerve-racking feeling because it’s your family you’re fighting for,” Swayman said on Lewis’ podcast in August.
“The answer I’m gonna give you this year, is that I’ve educated myself, and I understand the business side of it all. It’s given me a complete new mindset of understanding the business and how to react to it. I understand the cap is going up and where it will be in years. I understand my comparables and how I can’t ruin the goalie market for guys that are gonna be in my shoes down the line. I went to the school of Business for the university of Maine, and I love the business side of it all.”
Swayman’s stance on behalf of the NHL goalie fraternity, and in effect, the NHLPA, likely didn’t sit well with Boston Bruins owner Jeremy Jacobs, who, in the eyes of many around the NHL, is a ‘Hawk’ within the NHL Board of Governors. Neely’s comments on Monday basically proved that, and given this response from Gross on Monday night, where he essentially called Neely a liar, he and Swayman likely shouldn’t expect a better offer than the one Neely revealed on Monday.
