With rumors coming from all directions on where the Boston Bruins and Jeremy Swayman stand in contract negotiations, there isn’t much to really expect at this point. Many reports have said that the two sides want to stick together, but just can’t agree on a number. What that number is exactly isn’t clear, but some reports have suggested Swayman wants $10 million per season, while others have refuted that report. Regardless of what it is, the Bruins handed Swayman all of the leverage by trading goaltender Linus Ullmark too early.
Sweeney Pulled The Trigger Too Early on Ullmark
While trading Ullmark this offseason made perfect sense, general manager Don Sweeney may have put the team in an uncomfortable situation leading up to the start of the season. There is still lots of time to get a contract done, but until it is done, the management, players, and fanbase are likely feeling a level of angst about not having Swayman locked up to a deal before the start of training camp.
The Bruins’ return for Ullmark was underwhelming. They got a first-round pick used to select Dean Letourneau, Mark Kastelic, who should fit in on the fourth line, and Joonas Korpisalo, a goaltender who struggled in Ottawa and doesn’t have a friendly contract. As of right now, the starting goaltending job belongs to Korpisalo and could be challenged by Brandon Bussi. This was all avoidable if Sweeney didn’t commit to trading Ullmark as early as he did.
Right now, if the Bruins want any chance of making the playoffs, they will need to get Swayman signed, and both sides know that. The Bruins have little to no leverage at all as they need him and don’t have a reliable goaltender to fall back on. With Ullmark out of the picture, not only does Swayman know that the $5 million was cleared up, but also that he is in a position to demand whatever he wants in a negotiation, and will likely come out on the winning side of things.
Swayman’s Brilliance in Negotiations
In an episode of the Shut Up Marc Podcast, Swayman joined and talked about many things, including his current contract situation. He said in the interview that this offseasons negotiations have gone much better, and when asked about his feelings towards it all, he gave a very honest answer:
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.””
Jeremy Swayman on the Shut Up Marc Podcast
He made it clear that he is in a much better position this offseason as he has done more work on his own end to help not only himself but other goaltenders around the league as well.
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Through education at the University of Maine, as well as Stanford, Swayman has been studying the business side of the game and talked about how he has a completely new mindset. He is now looking at the salary cap projections and where certain numbers will be a few years down the road, as well as touching on the fact that he is looking closer at comparables to determine his true value.
On top of that, one of the biggest takeaways from the interview was that he is looking out for the other goaltenders as well. He mentioned that he can’t ruin the goalie market for the other goaltenders who will be looking for a contract, and helping the other goalies who will be in his shoes down the road.
Goalies have been underpaid throughout the majority of the salary cap era of the NHL, and even today, only five active goaltenders make over $6 million. Sure, there have been some examples of a goaltender not needing to be a superstar to bring a team to a Stanley Cup, but over the last two seasons, the active goaltender with the highest salary, Sergei Bobrovsky, has been part of two Stanley Cup Final runs with the Florida Panthers.
Having Swayman talk openly about having the opportunity to help set the bar higher for goaltenders moving forward is important for hockey. With the salary cap on the rise, salaries need to reflect that, and goaltenders are often forgotten about in this conversation.
So with the Bruins giving Swayman all of the leverage by trading Ullmark, and Swayman doing all of this work on the business side of things, he is in a great position to earn himself a great contract and help the goaltending market moving forward.
