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...

 

[Ladyfan]

If it's true that Sway was offered $6.5M for 8 years (almost $10M less over the first 7 years than what they gave Elias Lindholm), I would say that is a blatant slap in the face and reason enough to feel angry and no doubt started negotiations on the wrong foot.

$6.5M for 8 years is an insult and IMO not a very credible act of good faith.

I don't care if it was a "first offer" or not, Neely said in the presser that one of the things he likes about Sweeney is that "Donny doesn't lowball".

Don has signed MANY players without an issue.

This one smells of the terrible agent.

 

[DiggityDog]

Imagine being so delusional as a fan that you expect a top tier goalie in the league to sign a hometown discount deal in the $6s range when the team is paying a bottom of the roster defenseman $5 mill per?

Now imagine being the GM and thinking that wouldn’t get laughed at and rejected immediately, especially after you already traded the other goalie from last year?

Now imagine being the player who was told after last years arbitration hearing that it wasn’t personal and just business, only to see the team president doing a character assassination on you during his presser, while saying they offered you something they never did, which feels really personal?

To me this screams that the team simply wanted to move him all along, which is why they took back Korpisalo in the Ullmark trade. And Cam’s performance art at the presser was designed to gain support for the move by painting the player to be a malcontent.

And guess what? It’s working . The management ball washers have all fallen in line and taken the bait. Swayman bad. Cam and Don good. LOFL

Pot meet kettle.

 

[LSCII]

I say let him sit out the season and see if you can trade him next summer. I don't want him back.

The Bruins could do a lot with $9m in cap space. They could trade with teams and not have to send money back, that significantly lowers the acquisition price on players.

Like what? Take on another overpaid player that’s going to be waived based on bad ply and sign a defensive partner to ply with him for the bottom pairing? Lol

This team is far better with Swayman than it is without him. They’ve made this a very contentious negotiation by playing PR games in the press. Neely and Sweeney have nobody to blame but themselves for how this has gone

Pot meet kettle.

Please do elaborate and be as specific as possible.

 

[DominicT]

I think Oct 15 is when things start to change. Whether it's enough or not remains to be seen.

 

[Dizzay]

Bye Bye Jeremy!

 

[LSCII]

It's the only offer we know for sure is out there.

And again, is that really an offer when you’re stating in a presser and not to the player? Seems like a lot of spin and bullshit to me, especially with literally everyone saying that it never happened until the press conference

 

[Dizzay]

I think Oct 15 is when things start to change. Whether it's enough or not remains to be seen.

Why Oct 15th?

 

[RustyBruins72]

I think Oct 15 is when things start to change. Whether it's enough or not remains to be seen.

What is the significance of that day?

 

[danpantz]

And again, is that really an offer when you’re stating in a presser and not to the player? Seems like a lot of spin and bullshit to me, especially with literally everyone saying that it never happened until the press conference

Even if it wasn’t offered before the press conference, it became a real offer as soon as it left Cams mouth.

 

[22Brad Park]

Bruins GM made the blunder not accepting that 2nd year in arbitration.

 

[Bodit9]

I am trying to not get there.

I still think Jeremy is a good kid but has been naive and is misled by his terrible agent.

Bs have spent time developing Sway. He is good. I hope he has matured enough to not hold a grudge if he signs.

He's still butthurt about arbitration. He has not matured

 

[DiggityDog]

Like what? Take on another overpaid player that’s going to be waived based on bad ply and sign a defensive partner to ply with him for the bottom pairing? Lol

This team is far better with Swayman than it is without him. They’ve made this a very contentious negotiation by playing PR games in the press. Neely and Sweeney have nobody to blame but themselves for how this has gone


Please do elaborate and be as specific as possible.

I’ll do it simple. You went out of your way to call people “delusional” who are on the side of management. You even went so far as to call people “ball washers”.

The point it that you are taking the same hard stance in favor of the other side. So much so that you resorted to insults to do it. Pot meet kettle.

For the record I see both sides here, but if you want to act like Bruins are the only ones at fault here that’s your prerogative. Just as “delusional” as you to aptly put it.

 

[HustleB]

I feel like every single day into the regular season significantly impacts that first year AAV. And that pushes us towards a bridge deal if my math is correct. At this point I would not be surprised in the least if he was signed and then traded.

 

[pgm16]

Not me. Do you really think the Bruins get by the Leafs in the 1st round with Ullmark in goal?

Maybe or maybe not. I know Swayman was great in the playoffs, but Ullmark was better in the net from February on. Just my personal preference.

 

[LSCII]

Even if it wasn’t offered before the press conference, it became a real offer as soon as it left Cams mouth.

If you were working at a place and asked to make market value after making less and they offered you 25k less than you asked, but then told everyone in the office they offered you the full amount, how would you take that? Would that offer seem real and sincere to you?

 

[Walkenthewalk]

Bruins GM made the blunder not accepting that 2nd year in arbitration.

Yes they won't make that mistake again.

 

[LSCII]

I’ll do it simple. You went out of your way to call people “delusional” who are on the side of management. You even went so far as to call people “ball washers”.

The point it that you are taking the same hard stance in favor of the other side. So much so that you resorted to insults to do it. Pot meet kettle.

For the record I see both sides here, but if you want to act like Bruins are the only ones at fault here that’s your prerogative. Just as “delusional” as you to aptly put it.

So you think the $6 mill range is a fair offer to him? One that he was actually going to accept?

 

[Bruins4Lifer]

If it's true that Sway was offered $6.5M for 8 years (almost $10M less over the first 7 years than what they gave Elias Lindholm), I would say that is a blatant slap in the face and reason enough to feel angry and no doubt started negotiations on the wrong foot.

$6.5M for 8 years is an insult and IMO not a very credible act of good faith.

I don't care if it was a "first offer" or not, Neely said in the presser that one of the things he likes about Sweeney is that "Donny doesn't lowball".

Gibson signed for 8 yrs x $6.4M at the same age as Swayman. Now as a % of the cap, the $6.5M is lower than that, no argument there. But you also can't argue Gibson wasn't a lot more established and proven as a #1 after his 2016-17 and 2017-18 seasons than Swayman is right now.
Call it a lower-end comparable offer, but it was hardly a slap in the face.

Where the Bruins are at right now with a 8x$8M offer, they are well surpassing any of the high-end comparables. Swayman's ask right now is more unreasonable than that 8x$6.5M offer was.

 

[22Brad Park]

Yes they won't make that mistake again.

Huge huge mistake..Would have freed up another 5 million to add help or use elsewhere minimum.

 

[SwayHeyKid]

Imagine being so delusional as a fan that you expect a top tier goalie in the league to sign a hometown discount deal in the $6s range when the team is paying a bottom of the roster defenseman $5 mill per?

Now imagine being the GM and thinking that wouldn’t get laughed at and rejected immediately, especially after you already traded the other goalie from last year?

Now imagine being the player who was told after last years arbitration hearing that it wasn’t personal and just business, only to see the team president doing a character assassination on you during his presser, while saying they offered you something they never did, which feels really personal?

To me this screams that the team simply wanted to move him all along, which is why they took back Korpisalo in the Ullmark trade. And Cam’s performance art at the presser was designed to gain support for the move by painting the player to be a malcontent.

And guess what? It’s working . The management ball washers have all fallen in line and taken the bait. Swayman bad. Cam and Don good. LOFL

Imagine being ok with overpaying a 30 year old center getting almost 8 mil per season for 7 years because they are a UFA but not being OK with overpaying for your 25 year old franchise goalie because he's an RFA? Or giving six years to a 30 year old defenseman that had a decent play-offs that went for a 3rd and 5th round pick the deadline before. I even like the guys they signed, but it makes zero sense.

 

[sarge88]

To the Bruins brass.....

Sign the kid and place all of the weight the deal comes with on his shoulders.

Stop embarrassing yourselves and this franchise.

Don't make this get any worse.

And if he doesn't stand up to that weight?

Not saying he should take $6 million -- but $9-$10 is really absurd, IMO.

 

[DiggityDog]

So you think the $6 mill range is a fair offer to him? One that he was actually going to accept?

If you can find where I said that in any post anywhere I would love to see it.

You were shitting on people for being on the side of management. Calling them delusional and ball washers in the process.

I’m merely pointing out that the same thing could be said for someone who is on the other side.

Again, it’s ok to pick a side. It’s also ok to find yourself in the middle like me. The insults does nothing for the conversation. Especially when all we really have is he said she said.

 

[SwayHeyKid]

I say let him sit out the season and see if you can trade him next summer. I don't want him back.

The Bruins could do a lot with $9m in cap space. They could trade with teams and not have to send money back, that significantly lowers the acquisition price on players.

so it's worth not competing for a cup this season?

So it's an insult to give him one of the 3 richest bridge contracts at his position in the last 6 years.

Besides - who were they and has Swayman done more / worth more?

yeah considering the other two were 4 and 6 years ago, but maybe you aren't familiar with inflation and how salaries rise?

 

[bossfan]

I am rooting so hard for Korpisalo. If he can give the Bruins serviceable goaltending with the better defense in front of him then than he had in Ottawa then I hope the Bruins tell Jeremy that they don't need him as bad as he needs them, lower their offer to 7 million a year, and tell him and his agent to enjoy his time off if he dosen't want to sign.

 

[BamBamCam]

Why Oct 15th?

What is the significance of that day?

First Paycheck.