close
close

Boston Bruins’ Jeremy Swayman Deal: Two Contract Comparisons – The Hockey Writers – Boston Bruins

Boston Bruins’ Jeremy Swayman Deal: Two Contract Comparisons – The Hockey Writers – Boston Bruins

The Boston Bruins are three weeks away from their first preseason game against the New York Rangers at TD Garden, and Jeremy Swayman is still a restricted free agent. Both sides expressed confidence that a deal would be done before the season, and he participated in the Bruins’ captain’s practice earlier this week. However, this is a major area of ​​concern. If Swayman holds out to start the season, the Bruins would be without Both were Vezina Trophy-caliber goalies from a season ago, so let’s examine a few contracts that could be similar to what Swayman could receive when he finally puts pen to paper.

2017: Carey Price

Carey Price He signed a terrible contract to stay with the Montreal Canadiens in 2017, getting $84 million over eight years. The deal has aged like milk for the team. They got three solid seasons out of Price after he signed, but injuries have held him back since then. He hasn’t played a game for the team since April 2022, and there’s no return in sight.

Blake Wheeler, Winnipeg Jets and Carey Price, Montreal Canadiens (Photo: Jason Halstead/Getty Images)

This deal is likely close to the term of Swayman’s contract, but if the Bruins give him a contract of the same length as Price’s, they should feel better about the potential outcome. Price was 30 years old when he signed and had started over 500 NHL games. Swayman is just 25 and has just 132 NHL starts under his belt. The Bruins should feel good about his longevity, as he likely has much more to offer than Price did in 2018. On top of that, it’s unlikely he’ll get a contract with an average annual value (AAV) of more than $10 million like the Canadiens gave Price.

2019: Andrey Vasilevsky

Andrei Vasilevskiy’s 2019 contract is probably the closest one-to-one comparison we can make to the situation Swayman and the Bruins are in right now. Vasilevskiy was coming off a stellar 2018-19 season in which he won the Vezina Trophy and, like Swayman, entered negotiations at age 25. The two sides agreed to an eight-year contract worth $76 million for an AAV of $9.5 million.

Relating to: Lightning Need Vasilevskiy to Rebound After Worst Season of His Career

The deal has aged beautifully for the Lightning. Vasilevskiy led the Bolts to the Stanley Cup in the three years since the deal was signed, winning it in 2020 and 2021. He was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy, given to the league’s most valuable player, at the end of the 2021 playoffs, becoming the first goaltender to do so since Jonathan Quick of the Los Angeles Kings in 2012.

WEEI’s Rich Keefe reported that Swayman called For an AAV of $10 millionNorth of what Vasilevskiy received in 2019. NHL insider Frank Seravalli reported on a recent interview Sportsnet’s But Swayman is looking for Rusic and Rose and the Big Show around 8 million dollars While the Bruins are at around $6 million. Swayman hasn’t won a Vezina and doesn’t have the accolades that Vasilevskiy had when he entered negotiations in 2019. However, it seems likely that there is an NHL team that would be happy to give him a contract worth around $8 million per year. With that in mind, the Bruins are likely I need to meet him They could reach a figure close to that if they hope to strike a long-term deal ahead of the season.

Contract Comparisons

Both Swayman and the Bruins seem certain to get a deal done before the season. What that deal will look like has yet to be determined. Swayman’s camp feels like Vasilevskiy’s deal is one that can be worked out, even if they demand a lower AAV. Still, the Bruins should be happy to sign Swayman to a long-term deal because he’s entering his prime and is poised to be one of the best goalies in the NHL for years to come.