Consequences of the Bruins' Contract Stalemate with Jeremy Swayman

The Bruins and their star netminder are at an impasse.

The biggest storyline of the NHL right now involves the Boston Bruins and their unsigned netminder, Jeremy Swayman. On 32 Thoughts: The Podcast, insider Elliotte Friedman shared that the restricted free agent (RFA) wanted around an eight-year, $9.5 million average annual value (AAV) deal originally. The Bruins have reportedly upped the ante to eight years and $8 million per season, so the two parties are definitely off but not by a significant margin.

Now into October, a contract has not been signed. While the Bruins have until Dec. 1 to get the deal finished, the damage is already done—Swayman is probably not going to start on opening night. If this process drags, just how detrimental could that possibly be? Is the team making a mistake? Is Swayman making a mistake?

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Bruins’ Biggest Strength Could Become Their Biggest Weakness

The Bruins are playing a fairly risky game here. In their last two seasons in particular, the backbone of their roster has been goaltending.