The Boston Bruins and goaltender Jeremy Swayman have yet to agree on a new contract, and the 2024-25 regular season is just over a week away. While there were no indications that Swayman wanted to be traded, there were some recent statements made that are making fans think he might be available on the trade market. Bruins president Cam Neely spoke to the media on Monday (Sept. 30) saying “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.”
Related: Jeremy Swayman’s Agent Makes Statement After Cam Neely Comments
Neely was referring to the team’s $64 million offer, allowing every fan to believe Swayman rejected a massive eight-year extension worth $8 million annually. However, Swayman’s agent Lewis Gross spoke out against the comment from Neely in a statement on Instagram, after fans began to take a negative stance toward Swayman.
From Lewis Gross, who represents Jeremy Swayman:
Normally, I do not release statements or discuss negotiations through the media. However, in this case, I feel the need to defend my client. At today’s press conference, $64 million was referenced. This was the first time that number was discussed in our negotiations. Prior to the press conference, no offer was made reaching that level.
We are exremely disappointed. This was not fair to Jeremy. We will take a few days to discuss where we go from here.
Lewis Gross’ statement on Cam Neely’s comments on Swayman negotiations
While it’s rare for agents to speak out on behalf of their clients regarding contract negotiations, this situation seems like a rare occurrence where an agent speaking negatively about his client’s team is justified. With that being said, let’s take a look at three potential trade destinations for Swayman, assuming his relationship with the Bruins isn’t fixable.
Los Angeles Kings
The first team that could take a look at bringing in Swayman is the Los Angeles Kings, who will be looking to find more success than they have had over the past several seasons. For the past three seasons, the Kings have made the playoffs, but been eliminated by the Edmonton Oilers in the first round each season. They made a trade this offseason with the Washington Capitals to acquire goaltender Darcy Kuemper in hopes of bolstering their depth between the pipes, but fans still have questions about Kuemper’s ability to lead them to more playoff success.
Kuemper struggled with the Capitals and was about to lose the starting spot to Charlie Lindgren, so him being moved was no surprise. The Kings swapping Pierre-Luc Dubois for Kuemper made sense as they freed up cap space, and brought on a goaltender who was once considered elite in hopes of him finding confidence again. The Kings looking into Swayman as a potential starter could be a smart move for them if they hope to contend for a Stanley Cup, and Kuemper being a backup is more trustworthy than if he was a starter.
Seattle Kraken
The second team that could take a look at Swayman is the Seattle Kraken, who have yet to find much playoff success since joining the NHL as an expansion team in 2021. The Kraken have bolstered their lineup this offseason in hopes of making a push for a Stanley Cup this season, but their goaltending remains a huge question mark. While Philipp Grubauer and Joey Daccord are good, they aren’t a tandem that many people would consider championship-caliber.
The Kraken looking into Swayman would make sense, and they have the assets to make a trade work. They have a deep prospect pool, most of their own draft picks available to trade, and should be able to find the cap space to make a move. If they can bring in Swayman without overpaying and destroying their depth, the Kraken could go from a potential wild-card team to a contender.
Montreal Canadiens
The third team that could look into acquiring Swayman is the Montreal Canadiens. With the injury troubles that have begun to surround the team with both Patrik Laine and top prospect David Reinbacher going down with major knee injuries, the Habs may look to make a big splash to keep themselves competitive. They have good goaltending, but bringing Swayman in could establish themselves as a team ready to move out of a long rebuild and back into contention.
Swayman being traded is possible, but not guaranteed. We should have some clarity in the next few days as to what Swayman and his team plan to do moving forward, but a trade isn’t out of the question. For a team that traded their starter in Linus Ullmark and has now found themselves likely losing Swayman, the Bruins may have ruined their reputation and a chance at being contenders for the foreseeable future.
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