Player Discussion Jeremy Swayman -UPDATE- neither elect arbitration (page 16)

[PatriceBergeronFan]

When has Sweeney disappointed in a contract negotiation ?
Can't think of any. Some may say DeBrusk going, but haven't we all been waiting for him to put it all together and shine. Yes he was pretty good, but perhaps I'm wrong, but I always expected more from Jake and was dissapointed. I expect the contract to get done.

Reilly. Moore. Not very often.

 

[Hookslide]

What if Swayman is asking for $9.5M?

Good question, my answer is I, am out.

 

[Hookslide]

Do you think Swayman was ranked too high or too low on the JFresh list?

But to answer your question: I wouldn't pay him 9.5m. Nor would I try to bluff him with the idea that the team is just as good with Joonas Korpisalo and Brandon Bussi.

You are right they are not as good with Korpsalo and Bussi, but Sway, at 9.5 you might not have a chance to be better, they need a RW, goal scorer, and they have nothing left, I do not want to be Toronto, Edmonton, top heavy contracts and nothing left for your depth part of the roster.

 

[Babajingo]

Good question, my answer is I, am out.

9.5 without playing a full load? well a full load in this day and age.
Ouch.

Can the B's claim Korpo failed his physical and negate the trade?

 

[PlayMakers]

Swayman wants to be here. Nobody is denying that.

But Swayman also wants to get what he deserves, and feels that the team didn't pay him what he thought he was worth last year AND crap talked him during arbitration. Of course, too bad, that's the process, but he undeniably had bad feelings about that. Whether he loves it here or not, he's going to want to get paid what he thinks he deserves. And if Sweeney doesn't want to do that, and instead wants to bluff that's on him.

Your "nuclear deterrent" would be like Lichenstein trying to bluff the USSR in 1981. Go ahead and go with Korpisalo and Bussi. If Swayman isn't signed by Sept. the clock starts ticking. Every day it does on from there is 1 more day closer to the hard NHL deadline of 12/1.

What's in everyone's best interest is a long term fair deal. If the team is going to go out and sign Lindholm and Zadorov, 2 guys from outside the organization, and add Korpisalo's salary, and THEN try to cry poor mouth and cap ceiling to Swayman, then that's not going to sit well. You can' say you are building a team, and crow about "the culture" and then go add 3 guys from outside and claim you can't pay one of the 3 most important guys already in the room. You don't think that would upset the close knit locker room?

But reason will prevail and a deal will get done.

I feel like you're arguing against yourself here. Nobody said they are crying poor. They kept $8.5m aside to pay him and that's fair.

Wow.

Who was the last goalie to struggle here? Starter or backup?

 

[PlayMakers]

Do you think Swayman was ranked too high or too low on the JFresh list?

But to answer your question: I wouldn't pay him 9.5m. Nor would I try to bluff him with the idea that the team is just as good with Joonas Korpisalo and Brandon Bussi.

Nobody said they're trying to convince him the team would be just as good. Just that they could get by. That they're not desperate and looking at a situation where without Swayman it's two completely unproven goalies in Bussi and DiPietro.

 

[EverettMike]

Who was the last goalie to struggle here? Starter or backup?

That's your basis for this "nuclear deterrent" idea? Not Korpisalo's career numbers and the fact he has more seasons playing badly than decent?

The only people who will find that less persuasive than I are Swayman and his agent.

 

[Number8]

When has Sweeney disappointed in a contract negotiation ?
Can't think of any. Some may say DeBrusk going, but haven't we all been waiting for him to put it all together and shine. Yes he was pretty good, but perhaps I'm wrong, but I always expected more from Jake and was dissapointed. I expect the contract to get done.

It will get done because it has to get done. Hopefully it’s going amicably because Sway wants to be in Boston. But make no mistake, he has a ton of leverage. Much more than Donny. Just the way it is - and whatever it is we’ll all be happy.

Why? Because Korpisalo and Bussi is more lottery pick territory than SC contender territory. And Boston didn’t just spend a lot on a top center and a bruising Dman to be a lottery pick.

 

[Number8]

What if Swayman is asking for $9.5M?

Then Sweeney is out of a job.

I have to believe they thought that the number isn’t that high or they wouldn’t have traded Ullmark.

Of course the trade put much more leverage in Swayman’s court. Many around here (myself included) were saying that we really needed to sign Swayman before trading Ullmark.

Maybe that wasn’t possible, but we are now boxed into a corner. And if that corner is Swayman at $9.5M vs. Korpisalo/Bussi then Donny has negotiated himself out of a job.

Say what you will, but Donny is pretty smart. I doubt he’s put himself in that kind of predicament.

That said, in my book taking Korpisalo off Ottawa was worth a #1 pick even up. That means we traded Ullmark for Kastelik. OOF.

I’ve mellowed, but still not happy about the return we got. Maybe it was all that was possible. Still doesn't make me think it was a good deal.

 

[AngryMilkcrates]

I think Swayman loves it here. I think he wants to be here and be a big part of this culture and the organization. He came to development camp, just a reminder of how much he loves being around the team.

I think Swayman is leaving this up to his agent. He's here. He's training like it's another day at the office. The agent will do his best to get the most for Sway and Sweeney will do his best to keep the cost reasonable, but fair to Sway. Neither party filed for arbitration because they both want a long-term deal and they want to keep things amicable.

I also think Korpisalo is Sweeney's nuclear deterrent. He has Korpi and Bussi and can say to the agent, if you insist on setting a new benchmark then we're prepared for Swayman not to play. We have a promising rookie and a veteran starter already in place. We don't want that, but we're not in the business of setting benchmarks here, and Jeremy knows that.

So at the end of the day, I think Swayman is going to let this play out for awhile to get the number as high as he can get it, and then will sign. But I think we should be prepared for that process to take awhile, maybe until early September.

We quickly forget the December and January of Panic before the Pasta deal.

 

[Tbaybruin]

MacAvoy and Pasta both love it here and they got massive deals. Swayman loves it hear and might want the same.

 

[bruinmann77]

Think if no Deal by Mid Aug then you worry imo. If this backfires and Sway is the Bruins Goalie and DS misjudge on this. Heads will roll imo. Having a combo of Bussi and Jonnas will be interesting

 

[Bodit9]

8 years at $7.5M seems fair to everyone

 

[ON3M4N]

Sweeney wouldn't have dealt Ullmark unless he felt pretty confident that he knew what it was going to take to sign Swayman.

 

[vjcsmoke]

I feel like they will ink him to a long term deal and talks are ongoing now. There's no other reason for Swayman to skip arbitration otherwise.

 

[EverettMike]

I'm not actually worried about this, I'm really not. But I'm not 100% convinced it'll definitely work out easily, either. Sway clearly harbored some ill-will about arbitration last year, so it would be silly to say there's no chance that could factor into these negotiations.

 

[BiteThisBurrows]

It's a debate that can and will likely rage on for years. Is a team better off allocating more money to skaters and less towards goaltenders?

2 of the last 4 cup finalists had "cheap" goaltenders. Florida spent over 14 million this past year on goaltending.

If we go back 3 more years, we get 3 appearances by Vasilievsky, one by Carey Price, Kuemper who wasn't expensive contract wise but cost to acquire, and a Cinderella run by our old friend Khudobin.

I don't know if there is a correct answer other than who is the goalie and who is the skater?

That being said, how cheap can you go with goalies? Has a team won riding a guy making under a million per?

Well I don't think anybody is thinking we go "cheap". The number will be over 7, it's just a debate on if it should be over 8 or not. Either number puts him in the top tier for goaltenders league wide.

 

[The don godfather]

9.5 million? Trade sway?

 

[UncleRico]

When has Sweeney disappointed in a contract negotiation ?
Can't think of any. Some may say DeBrusk going, but haven't we all been waiting for him to put it all together and shine. Yes he was pretty good, but perhaps I'm wrong, but I always expected more from Jake and was dissapointed. I expect the contract to get done.

Backes, foligno, reilly, forbort, moore, beleskey

 

[UncleRico]

Who was the last goalie to struggle here? Starter or backup?

This is true it’s been a very long time. However, isn’t that a great case for not acquiring korpisalos contract and keeping the much cheaper bussi?

The backup is going to play 25-27 games against weaker competitions and back-to-backs. Do we really think the difference between bussi vs korpisalo in that scenario is that much of a difference?

I’d rather have the extra cap.

 

[DominicT]

Think if no Deal by Mid Aug then you worry imo. If this backfires and Sway is the Bruins Goalie and DS misjudge on this. Heads will roll imo. Having a combo of Bussi and Jonnas will be interesting

I will worry opening night.

 

[DKH]

Swayman seen around town and smiling and very happy to be a Bruins

The only issue is how much ?

I’m going 8/60

Dealer Donny isn’t referred to that for saying trades are hard

 

[BruinDust]

This is true it’s been a very long time. However, isn’t that a great case for not acquiring korpisalos contract and keeping the much cheaper bussi?

The backup is going to play 25-27 games against weaker competitions and back-to-backs. Do we really think the difference between bussi vs korpisalo in that scenario is that much of a difference?

I’d rather have the extra cap.

Have you ever seen Brandon Bussi play?

 

[UncleRico]

Have you ever seen Brandon Bussi play?

Yes about a half dozen times in providence. Obviously no idea how it will translate to the NHL but he looks really solid at the AHL level.

Even if we didn’t go with bussi there’s a handful of free agent goalies who were cheaper than korpisalo that could have been just as serviceable in 25-27 games against the bottom feeders of the league.

 

[DKH]

Have you ever seen Brandon Bussi play?

I have a lot including ncaa tournament

I’m very high on him

The Korpi thing stunned me

However at 3 M not a killer since I own 3 backups in the HF Sim league and they go from 2.5 M, 2.75 M, 3.3 M in NHL


If Goalie Bob believes Korpi the next Halak and a guy who’s won NHL playoffs

Situations are huge in life

Huberdeau young player in Florida 115 points in 21-22

Still young goes to Calgary - 45-50 points

That’s extreme and Korpi not in his class but got to think they believe in him being able to run with it if Swayman ever went down

I’m a Bussi guy but I’m less confident in him then Lysell making good

Korpi Iexpect ends up with Halak numbers 2:1 win ratio 90-92 % save ratio

This Bruins team is set up to kill the middle of the ice

Love Grzelcyk but big difference heading into. Grz-Mac then Zadarov - Mac

Also Peeke will smoke you and Lohrei has a condor like reach

The middle ice scoring chances should significantly drop

I can’t believe they did what they did

Cut scoring chances & get guys who will go after the D

Is Gordon Howe manifesting this off season ?