"Bruins aren't dumb enough to fall into that trap": Elliotte Friedman speculates why Jeremy Swayman & Boston Bruins avoided arbitration

By Anjum Rajonno

Modified Aug 18, 2024 06:37 GMT

The Boston Bruins and their goaltender Jeremy Swayman are still locked in contract negotiations, with reportedly no resolution on the horizon yet. NHL analyst Elliotte Friedman recently shared his thoughts on the reason neither party wants to drag the matter to arbitration.

The Bruins have over $9 million in cap space, which gives them the financial flexibility to offer Swayman a multi-year deal with a pay raise. However, they haven’t yet reached an agreement on the exact salary.

While speaking on ‘32 Thoughts: The Podcast’ on Saturday, Friedman discussed the topic in response to inquiries from Bruins fans who were curious about why the team didn't take Swayman to salary arbitration. He said:

“Well, first of all, Swayman wouldn’t do it, because you’ll remember last year he said he didn’t like it, so he didn’t want to go through that again.”

Friedman explained that the Bruins were aware of Swayman's reluctance to go through arbitration.

“If the Bruins had taken Swayman to arbitration, one thing they knew, what would happen is if the team takes the player to arbitration, the player gets to select the term,” he said. “And Swayman could have selected a two-year term, which would have walked him right to unrestricted free agency. And the Bruins aren’t dumb enough to fall into that trap. They were not going to let that happen.”

Friedman noted that the negotiation process between the Bruins and Swayman has been difficult, with both sides not being close to a deal at the time of his last update. However, he pointed out that there's still time for the two sides to come to an agreement before the situation escalates further.

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Jeremy Swayman optimistic about his contract extension

With just over a month before the full Bruins roster returns for training camp, Swayman does not have anything solid on the table yet. However, the player seems highly optimistic about staying in Boston.

Swayman spoke about his ongoing contract negotiations with the Boston Bruins during an appearance on the WEEI/NESN Jimmy Fund Radio-Telethon last week.

“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,” he said.

Although Swayman hasn’t yet been the full-time No. 1 starter, he is preparing to take on that role in the upcoming season, especially since Linus Ullmark was traded to Ottawa in June.