In this latest edition of Boston Bruins News & Rumors, Cam Neely confirmed to reporters that the Bruins are looking to “bolster” the center position before the start of the season. In other news, the Bruins and Trent Frederic have set their arbitration filing numbers, and they are far apart. Meanwhile, Jeremy Swayman’s arbitration hearing is set for today (July 30), meaning a contract will be announced shortly. Let’s discuss this and more in this latest Bruins News & Rumors column.
Bruins Looking to “Bolster” Center Position
With Patrice Bergeron announcing his retirement and David Krejci’s future still not determined, the Bruins are entering the 2023-24 season with a severe problem down the middle. As a result, Neely recently told reporters that the club will do “whatever we can do to bolster that position” (from ‘What Will The Boston Bruins Look Like At The Center Position After Bergeron’s Retirement, Substack, Joe Haggerty).
Related: Bruins News & Rumors: Swayman, DeBrusk, Lindholm & More
It is understandable that Neely and general manager (GM) Don Sweeney are exploring the market for a center. The two big names that stand out as possible trade targets are Elias Lindholm and Mark Scheifele. The Bruins reportedly prefer Lindholm over Scheifele, but given their cap situation and lack of draft picks, it will not be easy bringing in either player (from ‘Where do the Winnipeg Jets stand at midsummer?’ Winnipeg Sun, 07/22/2023). It would also likely result in them moving Jake DeBrusk and either Matt Grzelcyk or Derek Forbort.
We will need to wait and see if the Bruins can find a way to bring in a center before the start of the season, but it is not going to be an easy task. If they are unable to make an upgrade down the middle, the Bruins’ top two centers heading into the new campaign will be Pavel Zacha and Charlie Coyle. A promising prospect like Matthew Poitras could also challenge for an NHL job with a strong training camp.
Bruins & Frederic Set Arbitration Filing Numbers
The Bruins and Frederic have set their arbitration filing numbers and much like with Swayman, they are far apart. The Bruins have filed for a two-year, $2.8 million contract ($1.4 million AAV), while Frederic is looking for a one-year, $2.9 million contract.
Due to the Bruins’ limited cap space, it is not surprising to see that they are hoping for a below-value deal for Frederic. Meanwhile, it is also understandable that the 2016 first-round pick is looking for a notable raise, as he is coming off of a career-best season. In 79 games this past campaign, the 25-year-old posted 17 goals, 31 points, and a plus-28 rating. However, the same production did not translate over to the playoffs, as he had zero points and a minus-2 rating in five games.
It is going to be interesting to see what kind of deal Frederic lands. His arbitration hearing is on Tuesday (Aug. 1), so we will have an answer soon. This stands out as a possible scenario where the arbitrator could set the final deal in the middle of each party’s asking price.
Swayman Contract Incoming
Swayman’s arbitration date is set for today (July 30), so the 24-year-old’s contract will soon be announced. The Bruins and the 24-year-old are very far apart with their arbitration filing numbers, so it is going to be interesting to see which direction that arbitrator favors. Swayman is looking for $4.8 million, while Boston set their price for $2 million.
Swayman is coming off of an excellent 2022-23 season, so he should end up making much more than $2 million. The Alaska native sported a 24-6-4 record, a 2.27 goals-against average (GAA), and a .920 save percentage (SV%). This was good enough for him and Linus Ullmark to win the William M. Jennings Trophy, so he has a lot working for him in arbitration.
Once Swayman’s contract is finalized, the Bruins will have an understanding of how much cap space they have left for Frederic’s deal. We will need to pay attention to the final results of Swayman’s hearing, but when noting that he just had a fantastic regular season, it seems likely that the arbitrator will lean more toward his side instead of Boston’s. However, there is also a chance that the Bruins and Swayman reach an agreement before their hearing begins. Once a deal is officially announced, it will be updated to this piece.
