After a long summer of waiting and negotiating, the Boston Bruins and restricted free agent goalie Jeremy Swayman may finally be moving towards an agreement on a new contract just as training camp gets underway.
On The Greg Hill Show Wednesday morning, co-host Courtney Cox, citing two sources close to the situation, reported that “a deal is done” between Swayman and the Bruins and that it could be officially announced as early as Wednesday.
“I was told a deal is done. Done,” Cox said. “…I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s announced today.”
Cox added that she did not have any details on the contract’s length or money, just that it was done.
UPDATE: In a good ol' fashioned WEEI scoop-off, Rich Keefe reported on Jones & Keefe later Wednesday that he has heard from his sources that a deal is not done, and that Swayman is not expected to be on the ice for the Bruins' first practice on Thursday.
"A deal has not been done from what I understand," Keefe said. "They're going to begin camp without [Swayman], is what I also understand."
Keefe, who previously reported that Swayman had asked for $10 million per year, added that he has also heard that the Bruins will not go over $8 million per year.
When general manager Don Sweeney met with reporters at noon Wednesday, he said that a deal is not done, and that Swayman will not be on the ice until one is.
Swayman was a restricted free agent this offseason, but the two sides have been unable to strike a deal for months, with reports as recently as last week suggesting that they may have been as much as four years and $4 million per year apart. That followed a contentious arbitration hearing last summer that resulted in a one-year, $3.475 million settlement.
While it may have taken longer than anyone expected, that gap may finally be closed, or at least closing, just as Bruins players officially report to Warrior Ice Arena for the start of training camp on Wednesday.
Swayman is coming off the best season of his four-year NHL career, going 25-10-8 in 43 starts (44 appearances) with a .916 save percentage and 2.53 goals-against average while making his first All-Star appearance and finishing seventh in Vezina Trophy voting.
After rotating with Linus Ullmark in the regular season, Swayman took over the starting job in the spring with an excellent postseason, propelling the Bruins to the second round while leading all goalies in the playoffs in save percentage (.933) and goals saved above expected (+13.3).
With Swayman in line for a raise, general manager Don Sweeney decided the rotation was done for good and traded Ullmark to the Ottawa Senators in June for a first-round pick, Joonas Korpisalo and Mark Kastelic, a clear indication that the Bruins were ready to make Swayman their franchise goalie.
Swayman remained in Boston all summer, skating and training at Warrior Ice Arena with Bruins teammates and staff. He was on the ice for captains practices at the start of September.
“I know that there's something special building in this locker room this year, and I can't be more excited about that,” Swayman said at the WEEI/NESN Jimmy Fund Radio-Telethon in mid-August. “I know that it will take care of itself with time, and all I can do is control how I'm going to be a better goalie for the Boston Bruins this year. So, that's all I'm focused on. And I know, again, it will work out, and I couldn't be happier to be a Bruin.”
Concern grew among fans, however, as negotiations dragged on all summer with no new contract for Swayman. While both sides publicly remained adamant that a deal would get done, reports suggested that they remained far apart into September, with Swayman asking for eight years at $9.5-10 million per season (as first reported by WEEI’s Rich Keefe and later backed by the likes of Elliotte Friedman and Ryan Whitney) and the Bruins offering something more in the range of four years at $6-6.5 million per.
The latest updates earlier this week came from Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman and TSN’s Darren Dreger. Friedman wrote on Monday that it had been a “quiet” weekend, but that “the best news for the Bruins is their number-one goalie still wants to sign long-term.” Dreger said on Tuesday that there are “positive vibes coming out of Boston” -- suggesting some clear progress had been made -- and that both sides were “looking at a long-term commitment,” but that there was still a gap as of then.
This would not be the first time that the Bruins and a key restricted free agent have struck a deal just as -- or even after -- camp begins. David Pastrnak signed on the first day of training camp in 2017, Charlie McAvoy signed three days into camp in 2019, and Brandon Carlo signed six days in also in 2019.
If a new contract does officially get announced on Wednesday or even early Thursday morning, Swayman would be able to join his teammates on the ice Thursday for their first official practice of the new season. If it takes longer than that, then Swayman would not be able to practice until everything is officially finalized.
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