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

[smithformeragent]

@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.

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5806291/2024/09/30/bruins-cam-neely-jeremy-swayman/

Click to read more...

 

[NDiesel]

Was that after his playoff run of 22 games 1.88GA and .940 save%?

And didn't every bad thing that happened to the team turn into his fault afterwards?

Oh man, Sway is going to get absolutely hammered on here the first shitty stretch he goes through, going to make the days of blaming Rask look tame I bet.

 

[DaStinger]

Oh man, Sway is going to get absolutely hammered on here the first shitty stretch he goes through, going to make the days of blaming Rask look tame I bet.

I can think of 64 million reasons he should get a shutout every night

 

[yazmybaby]

I can think of 64 million reasons he should get a shutout every night

Good one

 

[JOKER 192]

Considering the Bruins played a hobbled Leafs team in the 1st round and need an overtime goal to finally beat them, one could argue if the Leafs were healthy, Swayman would have zero rounds of PO round wins. Sure is overvalueing his accomplishments if you ask me.

 

[Over the volcano]

They shouldn’t know either way. It’s between Swayman/Gross, and the Bruins front office

They'd know if the goaltending was a problem and he was still sitting at home waiting on more dough

 

[TD Charlie]

They'd know if the goaltending was a problem and he was still sitting at home waiting on more dough

Or is he not receiving a reasonable offer? There's no way to know, nor should the players find out

 

[Oates2Neely]

I know how radios work.

I’m listening because Neely is suppose to speak. I’m asking if anyone knows when Neely is on.

Do you know when Neely is on or not?

Greg Bedard is on until 4pm they aren’t talking hockey with him there. Didn’t someone mention Neely was spotted in NYC this morning at the board of governors meeting?

 

[PatriceBergeronFan]

i'm only 26 pages in but a lot of people in this thread talking about trade returns

i gotta say, as a fan of another team, this guy has major negative value. i wouldn't trade a cap dump for him. swayman is on record saying he wants to set the market, the biggest scumbag agent in the game, and you want me to give up positive assets just to watch them drag my front office through mud? no thank you

So few teams including Detroit are desperate for passable goaltending. He has plentiful value.

 

[BiteThisBurrows]

Okay, a lot of people are up in arms (siding one way or the other) over "who lied" but I doubt that there actually is any real "lying:".

My guess is that Neely's just not good at math. He's Cam Neely. Hockey legend, But does anybody actually think of him as an overly smart and calculating mind? In hockey maybe, but not in math. I suspect the number was 7.8 and Cam, having had enough of this, decided to blurt it out. In his brain he's like what's 8x7.8? I can't do that in my head, round it up, close enough, 64 million reasons. No malice intended, just sloppy math skills.

The reality (away from the rhetoric) is likely simple. Bruins started at 6.2 and 4 years. Swayman's agent held firm at 8 years and 8.5. Several reports have said he hasn't budged and the Bruins have slowly come up towards it but I think he was set on the number starting with an 8 and Bruins wanted it below 8 (even marginally) and that was the line.

So now because of the sloppy math Swayman's like hey I would have taken 8, we weren't offered 8 wtf, and everybody's in a tizzy because Neely can't multiply with decimals.

So, Swayman really wants to be a Bruin he will sit down with them and they will go 8x8 and it'll be done and forgotten. Swayman wants to act like he's got hurt feelings or he's been "betrayed" or some other bs, then he's a greedy bastard and we have to ship him out of Boston sooner than later. That's just it. The rest is bs.

I hope he signs. I will survive if he doesn't.

 

[smithformeragent]

Ready thy popcorn.

Felger teases Swayman talk next.

 

[Midship]

Ready thy popcorn.

Felger teases Swayman talk next.

 

[AlwaysSunnyInDetroit]

So few teams including Detroit are desperate for passable goaltending. He has plentiful value.

weren't not desperate enough to give up top prospects, young roster players and high picks just for the privilege of paying $10mx7 to a guy who hasn't proven that he's worth it

 

[Sheppy]

Shep can you skate

I skate like John Scott on mushrooms.

So, yeah... Not good.

 

[Gee Wally]

F&M - essentially no real difference between 7.8 per or 8. Neely got it wrong and rounded up. The value is still more than worth. Agent has always been a pain. Overreacting.
Neely bit of a weasel move but more than fair. Big baby goalie……..

 

[Jorah Marshmont]

I skate like John Scott on mushrooms.

So, yeah... Not good.

So all-star level

 

[PB37]

Felger and Mazz are making some really level headed points. I'm shocked.

 

[Gee Wally]

Felger and Mazz are making some really level headed points. I'm shocked.

You and me both.

 

[CDJ]

How would you feel if I told you a certain other Bruins goalie who signed an 8 yr deal starting their age 26 season had a career high games played of 45 (39 starts), and 1 more career start (126 vs 125) and the cap hit % they signed for would be $9.6M with this year's salary cap?

The guy who carried them to the cup finals?

 

[PB37]

F&M - essentially no real difference between 7.8 per or 8. Neely got it wrong and rounded up. The value is still more than worth. Agent has always been a pain. Overreacting.
Neely bit of a weasel move but more than fair. Big baby goalie……..

They think with how pissed off the Bruins are, there's no way the difference is only 600k and that the Frank Serv. report is wrong with what Swayman is asking for, probably straight from the agent.

 

[Sheppy]

So all-star level

... When you put it that way

 

[PatriceBergeronFan]

Felger right on for the first time in a decade.

 

[smithformeragent]

Certainly doesn’t sound like we are expecting an appearance from Cam this afternoon.

 

[Gee Wally]

Felger ripping Swayman agent. Mazz hates the agent. ‘A tool’.
Felger sending ‘ thoughts and prayers to poor Jeremy’.

 

[RoccoF14]

With Skinner specifically, i wouldn't want him at all, even at a very low cost.

He's entering the decline in terms of offensive production. He plays zero defense, and when I say that I really mean it. I saw more than one Buffalo game where the puck went into the Sabres own zone and he came back late, then literally stopped at the blue line and just stood there. Didn't help out deep, didn't even take a high zone to cover, just straddled the blue line.

The Sabres are trying to compete this year and are taking a cap hit to to buy him out. Lindy Ruff came back in and basically must have said..yeah, I'd rather pay him not to play.

Brindamour took over in carolina and within a year wanted a young Jeff Skinner out of there. In Buffalo, Ralph Krueger was making him a healthy scratch, Ruff wanted no part of him. He MIGHT have a decently productive scoring year playing with McDavid and Draisatl in Edmonton simply as a function of having SOME offensive talent and playing with them, but at this point in his career he is NOT a player that helps a team like Boston, or most other teams, win in the regular season or playoffs.

I'm not advocating for any particular player, including Jeff Skinner (I knew someone was gonna turn this into a Jeff Skinner conversation, and that was not my intention). I was advocating that having Ullmark and the extra $3mil, could have gotten you an additional player. I used Skinner as an example because he signed for $3mil.

 

[Caper Bruins fan]

Neely next ?