The Jeremy Swayman contract negotiations have taken a dark path, and fans of the Boston Bruins are either irritated with management or losing their affection for the 25-year-old goaltender. The Bruins elected not to take Swayman to arbitration for a second time. They traded their Vezina Trophy-winning netminder, Linus Ullmark, to show Swayman that the Alaska native was ‘the guy” going forward. But Swayman has not wavered from his contract demands, which seem to be in the $9.5-$10 million range annually over eight seasons. Team President Cam Neely insinuated that the Bruins’ offer was $8 million yearly, although hockey insider Frank Seravalli has reported that the offer was $7.8 million yearly. Who is right and who is off base? Where is the landing spot with less than a week to go before opening night?
As the talks between the two sides sour, one has to wonder how this will affect the team. Do they support Swayman and welcome him with open arms when or if he signs? Will the distraction cause a slow start to the season? Can Joonas Korpisalo be “the guy” for a full season if Swayman does not sign? Captain Brad Marchand‘s comments over the last couple of weeks might give an indication of how the culture of the Bruins can help the team move on either way.
In mid-September, Marchand was asked about the Swayman contract talks and the public knowledge of the details of the negotiations and Marchand offered this statement, “I’m gonna say this now and kind of leave it at that; I won’t ever talk about contract stuff in the media,” Marchand said. “I saw a report the other day. I don’t know where he’s getting his information. It wasn’t from our side. We’re not gonna talk about it. Whatever goes on will stay internal between (Don Sweeney) and our group. I’ll leave it at that. I think there’s enough respect between the two sides that we can deal with it.”
These comments seemed to send an indirect message to Swayman that the team doesn’t operate that way. The culture that Zdeno Chara and Patrice Bergeron have created over the years involves inclusion and togetherness. It is one of the reasons for the Bruins’ prolonged success and something that Marchand takes seriously. On Tuesday, Marchand was asked again about Swayman, now that it seems the talks could go either way. Marchand remained confident in a deal, but his comments were again pointed and purposeful.
“I wouldn’t say it’s hard to keep it out of the room,” Marchand said. “Even today and after, there’s not a whole lot of talk about it. We all understand the situation that the team and Sway are in. This is part of the game. It’s part of the business. It’s a part that nobody enjoys. And eventually, a deal is going to get done and everyone’s going to move on and be fine,” he continued. “One of the biggest things is the stress and pressure of when these negotiations are going on. Once you sign, there’s so much weight that gets lifted off, not just the player’s shoulders, but the team,” Marchand concluded. “And then it’s just all about coming together and finding a way to win and building towards that goal.”
The Bruins have some renewed optimism after signing Elias Lindholm and Nikita Zadorov to fill a couple of glaring needs in past playoff disappointments. Young players Mason Lohrei and Matt Poitras have provided some youthful energy and skill that fans will enjoy for years to come. So these negotiations with Swayman have created anxiety and a stain of sorts on the start to the season.
However, through it all, Marchand has shown leadership qualities that justify his status as team captain. The veteran forward is not choosing sides, but using the right words to support his goaltender while reminding fans, teammates, and media that the Bruins’ culture is second to none in the National Hockey League.
