Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman decides against filing for arbitration
Swayman, the top goalie in Boston after Linus Ullmark was traded to Ottawa, went through arbitration last year and said, ‘I don’t want to do it ever again.’
A total of 14 NHL players elected to file for salary arbitration on Friday, but Boston goaltender Jeremy Swayman wasn’t one of them.
Whether that’s a sign that t he goalie and the Bruins are close to a deal remains to be seen. Electing not to file keeps Swayman eligible for an offer sheet, though the Bruins could file for arbitration to avoid an offer sheet.
ut Saros will be 30 when his contract kicks in. Swayman is 25 and the Bruins will be buying into his prime seasons. He could well be looking for a better deal than the Saros extension. And having already dealt Ullmark, the Bruins must come to an agreement with Swayman.
Swayman went through the arbitration process last year and, like most players, was not a fan of it. His side was going for a $4.8 million salary while the Bruins countered with $2 million. The arbitration yielded a $3.475 million salary for the 2023-24 season.
Early last season, Swayman explained his feelings on the process.
“There’s no ill will on the process, because I understand that. I’m not the first player to go through it. I’m not the last,” said Swayman. “But I definitely don’t wish it upon any of my friends and teammates moving forward and I don’t want to do it ever again as well.”
Meanwhile, Swayman is not showing any outward signs he’s planning a getaway from the organization. He was seen earlier this week at development camp, chatting with some of the goalie prospects on the bench. And he quickly reached out to his presumptive backup, Joonas Korpisalo, when Korpisalo was obtained in the Ullmark deal.
