NHL.com’s Dan Rosen predicts that Boston Bruins netminder Jeremy Swayman will earn more than $9 million each season. since a restricted free agent, the 25-year-old Swayman is in an unusual position, since the Bruins have just about $9 million in salary cap space to conclude his contract. He and the team chose not to apply for arbitration, and there is a slim probability of an offer sheet, but most expect the agreement will be completed.
His outstanding statistics—79 wins, a 2.34 goals-against average (GAA), a.919 save percentage, and 12 shutouts in 132 NHL games—show that he’s probably worth what he’s asking for. Swayman, who played a career-high 44 games previous season, earned the starting role in Boston, and his performance convinced the Bruins to trade Linus Ullmark to the Ottawa Senators. Swayman’s 25 victories, 2.53 GAA,.916 save percentage, and three shutouts established him as Boston’s uncontested number-one goalkeeper. However, the Bruins are under fire for handing Swayman’s team more bargaining power because Boston now “needs” to reach an agreement.
Are the contracts for Swayman and the Bruins comparable?
As Rosen points out, the Bruins have a few similarities to draw from, even if his situation differs slightly due to the growing salary cap. Juuse Saros, a four-year veteran, signed an eight-year, $61.92 million contract ($7.74 million AAV) with the Nashville Predators when he was a year away from unrestricted free agency. Before last season, Connor Hellebuyck, 30, signed a seven-year, $59.5 million contract ($8.5 million AAV) with the Winnipeg Jets. Thatcher Demko, 25, has signed a five-year, $25 million contract ($5 million AAV) with the Vancouver Canucks. Andrei Vasilevskiy, also 25, inked an eight-year, $76 million contract ($9.5 million AAV) with the Tampa Bay Lightning in 2019, following his Vezina Trophy win.
Where does Swayman rank among these netminders?
If Swayman signs an eight-year contract, the AAV may fall just below $9 million due to the prolonged term’s worth. However, a five- or six-year contract could increase his AAV to $10 million. That’s a large amount that would almost certainly force a move away from Boston.
