Anything over $8.5M puts him above Hellebuyck and $9.5M gets him to Vasilevskiy. Yea, a bit of inflation. But - again, as an RFA - still a huge leap given his career, especially when you look at Saros and Sorokin.
You are campaigning for Swayman to completely upend how goalies are treated while at the same time wanting to ignore his RFA status. And that’s fine. But this is a completely new dynamic you’re proposing - and may quite possibly be where the Swayman camp is pushing.
How many teams do you think would come to the table to negotiate a trade if they first had to agree to 8x$9.5M with Swayman? Or even $9M?
To a certain degree, yes I am.
Connor Hellebuyck signed that contract at 30 years old. And let's be honest, his playoff record is very suspect. He insists on playing 60+ games every year and it shoots him and his team square in the foot every time.
Saros is 29. Still has never won a playoff series. That being said I felt he took less than he should but factor in no state tax and his own desire to stay in Nashville (I assume), that isn't Swayman's problem IMO.
Andrei Vasilievsky was 25 when he signed his current deal max deal and he signed it Summer 2019 before he ever won a cup or Conn Smythe. He wasn't that far beyond Swayman when he inked that deal. A shade over 200 games played and coming off a disasterous playoff in 2019. Then factor in what the cap was then, what is is right now, and where it is expected to be going, 9.5 per for Swayman is starting to look light in comparison. Oh and there is also the no state tax thing there as well.
That's the issue here all summer. There is no goaltender currently under contract that is a true comparable. In every case there are factors that don't line up. Whether it's age, their track record, when they signed, what the cap was, where the cap went, etc. etc. His real comparables are Shesterkin, Oettinger, when healthy I'd add Demko. But they are still on their bridge deals and unfortunately for the Bruins and their fans, someone has to go first among that group and it's Swayman.
Personally I think the numbers of teams who would sign him to 9-9.5 over a 8 year deal are numerous.