Announcement: Jeremy Swayman all smiles as he reaches an extension contract with Boston Bruins worth $7.5 Million

Jeremy Swayman, goalkeeper for the Boston Bruins, is no stranger to the offseason. The previous time Swayman was a restricted free agent, the two sides opted for arbitration rather than a long-term agreement. The Bruins faced wage cap constraints, with Linus Ullmark earning $5 million yearly at the time. Swayman did not enjoy the arbitration procedure, and he expressed his concerns. Swayman returned to restricted free agency status after signing a one-year contract. However, this time, the team and Swayman have opted to avoid letting a judge decide the next contract for the Alaskan native. Any NHL team is free to sign Swayman to an offer sheet, and the Bruins have avoided a deadline to sign the former UMaine star. But will another team place an offer, and what would the ramifications be? Here are the particulars:

A potential offer sheet for Swayman would most likely be in the ‘Tier Five’ category, requiring a salary between $6.87M and $9.16M and requiring the signing team to send its upcoming first, second, and third-round selections to the Bruins if they are unwilling to match. Boston would most certainly match a max offer for Swayman, even if it was in the $9.16 million area, although they would be dangerously close to the salary-cap ceiling for the coming season. Currently, the Bruins have approximately $8.6 million in cap space.

The teams who could afford to make a contract offer and have a need at goaltender are the Montreal Canadiens and Nashville Predators. Each of these teams has cap space and could use a top netminder. However, rarely do teams place offers on restricted free agents in today’s NHL unless there is a revenge factor for past trades or signings. Typically, teams do not interfere in this process as an unwritten rule.

What Will a Swayman Deal Look Like?

The Bruins and Swayman are still very likely to reach an agreement on a new contract soon. Salary and term are up for dispute. Swayman’s next contract will most likely be seven years and worth between $7.5 and $8 million per season. This money would go within the salary cap for Boston and might become an even better contract as the salary cap rises over the coming few years. Will the history of negotiations between the two parties have any enduring effects? Even while this has been a difficult process for both sides, if the team and Swayman agree to a multi-year contract, each of the parties will have a short