Player Discussion Jeremy Swayman: VII- Swayman's agent basically calls Cam a liar

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How does this saga end?

  • Bridge deal

    Votes: 45 23.2%
  • Long term deal

    Votes: 54 27.8%
  • Trade

    Votes: 95 49.0%

  • Total voters
    194

smithformeragent

Moderator
Sep 22, 2005
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@Gee Wally

We have numerous deletions and more in here. We know tension and emotions are high.
But you folks must simply stop taking personal shots at each. Stay to topic.

If not we will be left with no choice other than adding thread bans.


BOSTON — Boston Bruins president Cam Neely suggested Monday that the team has made an eight-year offer to unsigned restricted free agent goaltender Jeremy Swayman at $8 million annually.

“I don’t want to get into the weeds with what his ask is,” Neely said at a news conference at TD Garden. “But I know that I have 64 million reasons why I’d be playing right now.”

Neely did not disclose what Swayman’s ask has been but said he was surprised by it.

So far, Swayman is holding firm to his demand. It aligns with his personality of not backing down, especially following his uncomfortable 2023 arbitration hearing. According to Neely, Swayman wants to set a new market for goalies, specifically ones under team control.

“What his ask is and what we believe his comp group is,” Neely said, “are two different things.”

General manager Don Sweeney said he remains in contact with Lewis Gross, Swayman’s agent. The Bruins are not interested in trading Swayman.

“Ultimately, we’re a better team, as I’ve said all along, if Jeremy is part of our hockey club,” Sweeney said. “That’s my intention. That’s my wish. I’ll continue to work to do that. I think Jeremy and the team are both hurt in this regard. That’s what I’ll do. I’ll continue to work hard to find a settling point.”

With only three preseason games left, it is likely Swayman will miss regular-season time, even if an agreement is pending. Coach Jim Montgomery designated Joonas Korpisalo as his goalie for the regular-season opener against the Florida Panthers on Oct. 8, regardless of Swayman’s situation. The Bruins have two full practices remaining in camp.

“Where we are in camp right now, with how well camp has gone and how well Korpisalo has done,” Montgomery said, “right now, he’s going to be our Game 1 starter.”

How good is the offer?​

Swayman would become the fifth-highest-paid goalie in the NHL under the Bruins’ offer, behind Sergei Bobrovsky, Andrei Vasilevskiy, Connor Hellebuyck and Ilya Sorokin. Only Vasilevskiy ($9.5 million average annual value) signed his contract as a pending restricted free agent. The others were due to become unrestricted.

It is a significant payday for Swayman, considering he has never been a regular-season No. 1 goalie.

 
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PB37

Mr Selke
Oct 1, 2002
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It's a negotiation, not a game of comparable contract one-upmanship.

You mean to tell me Lewis Gross can't challenge Don Sweeney and ask him why he doesn't value his client Swayman as much as he does Lindholm based on the offers made? What does Don Sweeney say when Gross asks him why he is willing to pay Lindholm 7.75 over 7 at age 29 coming off two down seasons but only willing to pay 25-year old Swayman 8 x 8 after a strong season?

Sweeney says to Gross Swayman is still unproven. Gross then counters with you didn't have a problem with that when it came to McAvoy's deal. See how that works?

What is Sweeney's reaction to Gross bringing up contracts offered and signed by Sweeney himself to position players? Does he kick him out of the room? Does he hang up the phone? Does he end the conference call?

You make it sound like there are rules to these negotiations and some topics like other contracts signed by the GM are out-of-bounds for the negotiation because those are skaters and not goaltenders. This isn't arbitration in front of some judge here. There are no rules as to what an agent and player can try to use to win their argument or frame their position.

Honestly if anyone is an agent and they aren't trying to drum up every argument in the book to try and get the best deal for their client they are doing it wrong. In this case, if I'm 25-year old Swayman I have a legitimate beef making a mere 1.75 million more than 29-year old Elias Lindholm over the next 7 years. That's an argument I think I can win so yes, I'll make that comparison. Once again, there are no rules to this.

Yeah, if I'm an agent in a hardball negotiation, you can be damn sure I'm bringing up contracts previously signed by my opposing GM. I don't think that is off-limits. Especially when those contracts are comparable in value to what your offering my client and the ink on those contracts isn't even dry yet.

If this was as simple as two parties negotiating off ONLY comparable goalie contracts, this issue is already resolved months ago, one way or the other.

We have quotes from Swayman about being mindful of future goaltending contracts and not being happy with his compariables during arbitration. . We have quotes from management about the comps they feel Swayman compares with in his peer group.Safe to say, they're using goaltending contracts to hash this out. I don't think I've ever heard of a goaltender trying to use a centerman's contract as a negotiate point but that doesn't mean it hasn't happened. Just flies in the face of everything we know about contract talks.
 
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BTO

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It’s not.

Not wanting to ruin the goalie market and wanting to reset the goalie market are two entirely different things
What’s the difference between setting the market and not ruining it if the # is $9.5m? You can call it a giraffe if you want but $9.5m is still $9.5m. Whether that constitutes setting or not ruining is beside the point.
 

NeelyDan

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Ok heres what scares me now:

Neely, having just conceded and approved going to 8, drops that out of frustration in the conference and Sway’s camp truly hasn’t heard that number yet

That, if true, is Cam directly hurting Swayman out of emotion - which we know he has lots of

I’m currently higher than the moon but someone walk me back off this branch
 

Guelph Bruin

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Mar 2, 2015
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It would be awesome business evil if the Brass in fact didn't offer $64 M to Sway's agent Gross but knew publicly saying it might get him fired and Sway signed ... win win.....Yellowstone pales in comparison to this drama ....although there's Beth....they do have that
 
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danpantz

Registered User
Mar 31, 2013
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One thing is for sure, Swayman is learning or is about to learn a lot about negotiating business deals because this one has it all.
 

nORRis8

The NHL, the stupidest League ever.
Sep 16, 2015
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I think Swayman wants a deal done. I have a feeling, based on this save my ass statement, is that Gross never told him about the offer
I've never seen a picture of Gross before.
Is this him?
Screenshot_20240930-174448-909.png
 

goldenblack

Registered User
Apr 15, 2024
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Put even simpler guys, imagine Sweeney pushing this into holdout territory where 8x8 wasn't on the table. It's dumb.

The other end of the lie makes WAY more sense.
 
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badbrewin

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Let's see how long until the B's show they're not effing around, giving Tyler Johnson a $1M deal and leaving them with $6.8M in cap space. Many ways to draft a potential deal, but you get my drift.
 

goldenblack

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Apr 15, 2024
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It would be awesome business evil if the Brass in fact didn't offer $64 M to Sway's agent Gross but knew publicly saying it might get him fired and Sway signed ... win win.....Yellowstone pales in comparison to this drama ....although there's Beth....they do have that

But why not just OFFER 8x8? The risk reward profile in this theory is terrible
 
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bossfan

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Apr 5, 2008
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If Neely threw out this 64 million figure without Sweeney and Jacobs being in the know about it and having talked about it already then he gets fired, doesn't he?
 

SwayHeyKid

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Mar 14, 2022
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Does an offer makes a sound if the agent and player aren't around to hear it?

If Neely threw out this 64 million figure without Sweeney and Jacobs being in the know about it and having talked about it already then he gets fired, doesn't he?
one can only hope
 

Dr Quincy

Registered User
Jun 19, 2005
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If this was the first that Gross has heard $64 million, does that mean he and Swayman would accept it tonight?
How is it structured as far as actual dollars per year?
Is their lockout protection?
Is their trade protection? Specifically what kind and how long?

The aav and years are the most important thing, but even agreeing on those would make one want to see all of the other things on paper and not just say "Sure we'll accept that anyway you feel like structuring it!!"
 

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