Boston Bruins’ Jeremy Swayman blocks a Toronto Maple Leafs shot during the second period in Game 1 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup first-round playoff series Saturday, April 20, 2024, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)AP
BOSTON — Six days after Cam Neely’s press conference comments and Jeremy Swayman’s agent’s response and accusations seemed to inflame negotiations between the Bruins and their free-agent goalie, the sides reached a deal.
Swayman signed for 8 years at $8.25 per year on Sunday morning, two days before the season begins.
At Monday’s media day, Neely wouldn’t divulge what Swayman was asking for but revealed the value of Boston’s 8-year offer.
“I don’t want to get into the weeds with what his ask is, but I know that I’d have 64 million reasons why I’d be playing right now,” Neely said, who also said Swayman was attempting to reset the goalie market.
After that people started to wonder whether this represented a growing and perhaps, unmendable rift in their relationship. Sports Illustrated even published a list of possible trade destinations for Swayman.
But in the end, while it made for good theater, did it matter? Did that exchange speed up the process? Slow it? Neither Neely nor Gross were at the press conference, but the Bruins general manager Don Sweeney and Swayman brushed aside questions about it.
“There’s twist turns and such. You hope for a straight and narrow path, but it just doesn’t always work out that way,” Sweeney said. “You have to be respectful and listen, I think that’s part of this whole exercise of going through negotiations. You have to learn to listen to what’s important.
“For me, that’s just an indication that both sides would like to find a deal,” said the verbal prickleball between his boss and Gross. “I don’t know if it necessarily moved things because we have deadlines anyway, from the standpoint of we want Jeremy in our lineup and then he wants to play hockey for the Boston Bruins and ultimately that’s the result.”