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...

 

[LiseL]

A poster mentioned Sway has a pathetic (not his words) danger area save%

That tells me he's as good as the 5 guys on the ice, When they breakdown and allow a shooter to be in for a high danger opportunity Sway shits his pads.

This is why I believe Korpo will be a much better goalie in Boston with the basic saves being handled routinely , the question to me is can he be better than Sway in the high danger areas saves?

The funny thing was, last year, he was great making those kind of saves. It was the low percentage perimeter shots that would go in, usually the 1st or 2nd shot of the game. When I heard he had laser eye surgery in the off-season and that the mask he wore last year affected his sightlines, it explained a lot. I'm not saying he'd be better than Swayman in the high danger areas, but that wasn't as much of an issue last year as letting in softies early in the game. Also, our D didn't play well in front of him so I would think he faced more high danger shots than he will playing in Boston. I do wish him well, seems he was really good in the locker room.

 

[SonnyBoy]

Eh, I'm offering up a counter point to the folks that were saying how Cam and Don don't negotiate via the media earlier this week, and blaming the leaks on Gross without any actual proof. Only to then use Cam's media driven "offer" as proof the team was making a real concerted effort to sign the guy without seeing the irony of it all.

If you don't like it, don't read it and don't respond to it. Either way, it's f***ing hilarious to me to point out the hypocrisy.

Yeah, because you have all the proof what have happened in this case.

 

[LiseL]

I said you never know with goalies. Who expected that 2019 run from the st Louis goalie. Colorado won a cup with a JAG. Blackhawks too

And who can forget the Hamburgler run for the Sens where he won something like 18 out of 20 games at the end of the regular season where they squeaked into the playoffs? What did the Sens do after that run? Sign him to a contract and the next year, he was back in the minors. Some goalies are so flukey.

 

[LiseL]

Can anyone explain why the Bruin chose not to take the arbitration award for two years and instead took one? I don't understand why that wouldn't mean anything to Swayman that the Bruins could have had him this year for 3 4 million but instead chose to negotiate a new deal for him and pay him.

From what I read in an earlier post, Bruins had less than $4M in cap space and had offered Swayman a figure in the mid $3M range. Swayman's camp wanted a figure that started with a 4. If the Bruins had taken the 2 year option, the amount awarded would've been higher than 3.4 so so they probably went the 1 year route to get a lower #. In arbitration the Bruins offer started with a 2 as they knew what to do to ensure the end result was in the $3M range. They also downplayed Swayman's abilities by offering comparables of lower tier goalies, again, to keep the # lower. I think that's where the hurt feelings began, that they lowered their offer in arbitration and with the comparables they used. But that's how the game is played. I'm surprised the agent didn't know that or didn't warn his client beforehand. I wouldn't be surprised if this is a factor in the current negotiations, but Swayman is still a RFA, his options are limited. I guess Gross/Swayman are banking on Bruins management to cave the way TML with Nylander's contract now that Ullmark is gone, but he/they may have overplayed their hand. It's getting nasty. Is there any coming back from this? Time will tell.

 

[SonnyBoy]

It's ironic how teams will say they don't pay for past performances, but then the fans turn around and refuse to accept that the player is being paid for what they'll do in the future.

Now you even know what future holds. Shit, teams should be paying you 8/64 for telling every hockey player's future career.

Like I said, I think they loved him at a certain value, liked him at a little more than that, and are fine moving on from him once he crosses a threshold they don't want to pay. Nothing more, nothing less. Just business. And on the flip side. I think Sway is viewing it the same.


Then Donnie Harvard is even dumber than I thought, letting his personal feelings get in the way of what's best for the team.

You are even more butthurt than Swayman. Donnie Harvard this and that. BTW what is your academic career, because you sure seem to hate highly educated people.

How so? The past three years he has won the Presidents Trophy (around here that means a heck of alot), goaltended his team to a finals and did it again but won this time.

And Swayman want's almost same money with 134gp and one allstar game .

 

[KillerMillerTime]

Bob didn't carry the team to the cup. When they were playing run and gun like the year they won the President's Trophy, they were eliminated in the 1st round. It wasn't until Zito made the changes to the roster and coach that they won. He was an important piece but not the only piece. Skinner managed to get the Oilers to game 7 and lost by one goal. It could've gone either way IMO. Florida lost to Vegas the year before with Aiden Hill in net. It was basically the same roster as this year. Did Bob help them win the cup? Yes. Wouldn't he have been the MVP if he was the main reason they won?

My point wasn't that he carried them (he was good in '23 and better in '24) but they won with a 10M goalie.

 

[SonnyBoy]

In LA, abysmal.
He didn't get a chance because he went to Ottawa and played even worse.

But we both know you already knew that.

0.925%, 0.917%, 0,950%, 0.881%, 0.790%, 0,808%. Three good games and three bad game by stats only. Not abysmal.

 

[KillerMillerTime]

How about ken dryden, wasn't a touted prospect. Came out of nowhere

Dryden was a dominant goalie for Cornell all 3 years. I knew about him in 1966-67.

 

[danpantz]

No he didn't. And not even close.

Yes he did

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/4950725/2023/10/11/jeremy-swayman-arbitration-bruins/

4th paragraph

 

[SonnyBoy]

Rather make him sit entire season then trade him for some avg return.That would sting the greedy little ####

Sit him two years if you won't get decent return. And start decreasing salary offer every day from this day forward.

I do look forward to all the “I really can’t enjoy this cup run because I feel Swayman is overpaid” posts in June

Come on Sway, stop writing here and fire your agent already

 

[KillerMillerTime]

Knights.

No Swayman or a ball park replacement their chances of DNQ go up considerably, like
close to 50\50. Their top four scorers missed four games total, so one injury to any of them sinks their season.

 

[SonnyBoy]

And your going under the assumption that $64 million was on the table before the press conference which was been refuted by multiple reports.

Again just pointing out the overwhelming hypocrisy

Multiple reports from the same one source.

 

[KillerMillerTime]

As a Sens fan, IMO I think they took Korpi because the Sens didn't have the cap space to keep him and Ullmark so it was Korpi or no deal. I also think Boston probably agreed as it provided some insurance in case Bussi wasn't ready to be a full-time back-up. If this contract issue with Swayman doesn't get resolved and Korpi does well with coach Bob's help + team defense structure, that trade will have worked out quite well for both sides. Who could've seen this coming?

That's an enormous if. He more than likely posts a SV% of .905. With the Bruins lack of offense that will put them in WC territory.

 

[SwayHeyKid]

Sit him two years if you won't get decent return. And start decreasing salary offer every day from this day forward.


Come on Sway, stop writing here and fire your agent already

On it

 

[KillerMillerTime]

In management's defense, both times they were offering the cap room they had available. Read somewhere that before arbritration, they offered him something in the mid $3 range, he wanted something in the $4 range. I guess management knew how arbitration works and Gross didn't. I believe they low-balled and took the 1 year option as they knew the result would be in the $3's based on past experience. Gross should've realized that arbitration wouldn't get them $4+ and that the team would make him sound more average that he is. That's the way the game is played. A team can only spend what it has available to spend without either trading away an asset or not playing with a full roster. He also hadn't really proven himself at that point, their offer in the $3's for one year wasn't an insult IMO.

This time, the Bruins kept $8-$8.5 in cap room with a full roster. This time, they didn't choose the arbitration option to try to keep his salary down. According to Cam's statement, they are pretty much offering him the room they have, keeping a little bit to have some flexibility. It's certainly not a low-ball offer, very fair IMO based on his current resume. People can say that cap room isn't a player's problem, but it's a factor in the real world.

Shane Pinto faced a similar situation last year, well worse because our dumb GM at the time, Dorion, didn't have any cap room to sign him above league minimum. Then he was suspended for half the season and ended up taking the league minimum deal for the rest of the season as that was the cap space new owner/GM had to work with. His bridge contract this past summer was for 2 years, with the 2nd year paying him $5 million which means his next QO has to start with a 5 if I understand the process correctly. I think Pinto knew the pickle they were in and worked with management to come up with a viable solution. Ironically, Gross is also his agent but it is the player that has control so I guess Pinto must've been involved with the negotiations. I think he also appreciated that the Sens management team supported him throughout that ordeal.

If Swayman doesn't want a long-term deal under $70 million, then he should negotiate a bridge deal for 4 years and get his big pay day when he's a UFA. I know there are 2 comparables for the $9 million deal for an RFA goalie, but not all GMs are willing to pay top dollar for an RFA goalie with a small sample size. It doesn't make them bad GMs if the # they do offer is fair. He wants the big payday now and have the Bruins take on all of the risk if his performance declines or he gets injured a lot, and his contract becomes an albatross. Not likely to happen, but it can happen, especially with goalies. This stalemate isn't all on management IMO.

Can a team can spend 10% over the cap during summer? If so they could have easily offered Swayman in the 3M range in arb and dealt with it and not started the animosity
that as led to the real possibility of going from Swayman\Ullmark to Korpisalo\Bussi.

Ottawa last year had a better tandem...lol.

 

[UncleRico]

How do you know if you really are committed to him after a bridge deal, you at least have an option to move on. In addition, it gives you time to develop other proven goalie prospects.

What goalie prospects are in the pipeline that we can develop in 3 years?

 

[SwayHeyKid]

Didn't the Bruins set a record for regular season points 2 seasons ago

yes then lost their top two centers and top 6 forward and top 4 defenseman. Hence they played in a transition year, remember how proud we all were of them?

0.925%, 0.917%, 0,950%, 0.881%, 0.790%, 0,808%. Three good games and three bad game by stats only. Not abysmal.

LA needing a goalie forever didn't extend him, what did that tell you?

 

[KillerMillerTime]

Even last year during the regular season, Stolarz had better numbers and a higher winning percentage. It's hard to know when a goalie will be in the zone at playoff time, even when they're first rate. Price and Helleybuck come to mind of goalies who haven't gotten it done in spite of their pedigree.

Stolarz played just 9 games against PO teams last year out of 27. H has played one playoff game. in his career and he is 30 years old. That isn't a very good argument to use against Bob.

 

[SwayHeyKid]

Multiple reports from the same one source.

I missed what Sweeney had to say about Cam's lie, he undoubtedly rushed to his defense, or maybe Charlie and confirmed that was a standing offer and Gross was lying about never seeing it....Can you post the link for me I can't seem to find it.

Stolarz played just 9 games against PO teams last year out of 27. H has played one playoff game. in his career and he is 30 years old. That isn't a very good argument to use against Bob.

the mental gymnastics on minimizing Bob's contributions the past three seasons isn't something I thought I would see here

 

[SonnyBoy]

I miss Tuukka

Unitl it's game seven

 

[SwayHeyKid]

Your last statement is so disingenuous. Bruins already spend to the cap and are willing to part with almost all of it with their latest offer. What does this have to do with the owner?

Some Bruins fans up in arms with a player they root for to get a couple extra million over the lifetime of his contract from a billionaire.

 

[UncleRico]

A poster mentioned Sway has a pathetic (not his words) danger area save%

That tells me he's as good as the 5 guys on the ice, When they breakdown and allow a shooter to be in for a high danger opportunity Sway shits his pads.

This is why I believe Korpo will be a much better goalie in Boston with the basic saves being handled routinely , the question to me is can he be better than Sway in the high danger areas saves?

High danger sv%
Swayman .832
Korp.810

According to analytics ottawa goalies had an expected GAA of 2.66 at 5v5 with the team they put on the ice. Korpisalo had a 2.82 GAA 5v5.

As bad as people claim Ottawas defense to be, korpisalo was the weaker link.

Also swayman had a higher high danger sv% than shesterkin, bobrovsky, saros, vasilevsky

 

[DKH]

If I'm Sway, I change my ask to $2 years x 7 million.

Get to UFA and then get away from this goofball front office.

why would they give him 7

Goofball front office lol

Did anyone hear any rumblings about Neely possibly lying? I couldn’t find anything like that posted anywhere in here

He rounded up. Men have been doing it since they could draw on walls. Go to any HS Class reunion

 

[Ozzy Osbourne]

If Sway can’t “settle for” 8/64 then a trade needs to be made. That kind of money is already insane when you consider he’s never even been a number one goalie.

He needs to go. I wanted to give him a blank check a couple months ago, but this is nuts. This is NOT going to have a happy ending here.

Buh-bye, Sway.

 

[Eddie Munson]

Some Bruins fans up in arms with a player they root for to get a couple extra million over the lifetime of his contract from a billionaire.

This is a very simplistic way of looking at it.

In the end the Bruins have a business to run and they value players a certain way. Over-value a guy and overpay 2, 3, 4m here or there and you start not being able to fill important positions. Pay Swayman 9m+ now and you need to dump salary this year. It’s not as simple as “oh just pay him what he wants and we’ll figure that out later.” This isn’t the NFL, the cap is a hard cap and money is finite. What you pay one of your player impacts everything from the money available this year, in the future, and how people approach your organization in negotiations moving forward.

In a vacuum, it’s very easy to say pay that man what he wants with other people’s money.

I’m all for guys going for what they think they’re worth. But I’m not a fan of the way this whole thing has gone down. I also think the Bruins did some things in good faith to show Swayman he’s their guy and I think Swayman’s team took those concessions and tried to leverage them for more money. Once the first leaks started going public, this thing was always going to turn into two boxers going to their respective corners.

Now I’m not sure this can be mended. I also think Gross overplayed his hand as now Swayman is running out of good options.