Both Jeremy Swayman and the Bruins aren’t budging in their prolonged contract talks.
As both sides dig in and stave off the concessions that usually bridge a contentios negotiation, one thing is for certain. It’s a lose-lose for all parties the longer that Swayman remains unsigned — and off the ice for the Bruins.
“Every day that Jeremy’s out, it hurts our team, hurts him,” Don Sweeney said Wednesday. “There’s a preparation we would like to do and he needs to do. But that’s not going to stop me from hopefully finding common ground.” The 25-year-old netminder is in his element between the pipes, as evidenced during his sterling playoff run this spring against the Leafs and Panthers (.933 save percentage over 12 games).
But the 2024-25 season will be one of change for Swayman, especially with Linus Ullmark no longer sharing the same dressing room as him. With just 44 games standing as his career-high in games played, every day spent away from Warrior and goalie maven Bob Essensa stands as a detriment to Boston’s No. 1 netminder as he preps for a heavier workload and added responsibilities.
And as Swayman remains away from Boston’s practice facility until a new deal is struck, a stout Bruins roster runs the risk of taking on water the longer this impasse lingers.