I mean did Pasta buy in with the record contract for a winger or McAvoy with his massive 9.5 deal? Because the Bruins didn't make them fight for what they thought was fair that makes them culture guys? Not Swyaman's fault Sweeney f***ed up the cap and couldn't extend him last summer
How bad did this brass f*** up the Ullmark thing? Maybe they should have talked with Swayman for the 18 months leading up to this deal? Maybe say, Hmmm that arbitration wasn't great, maybe it will be hard to negotiate next year as well? maybe we should lock him up or at least start talking Jan 1? Maybe Swayman is more receptive to a 3 year 6.5 mil bridge before he is the #1 and has that fantastic play-offs? How about being proactive? Ringling Bros.
Listen, this isn't my theory, I'm just passing along what I heard on the radio while waiting for my son to finish skating.
One theory is that both of those guys signed bridge deals and didn't ask for their big money until after they were established as top performers at their position. Second, they didn't try to set a new standard. Panarin was and still is making more than Pasta, and a slew of D signed for $9.5 at the same time as McAvoy. So there is a school of thought that says Swayman was entitled to demand that money before he earned it.
Felger wasn't really on board with all that. He said players generally don't begrudge players getting paid, but the way Swayman went about it publicly rubbed guys the wrong way and he cited Marchand's comments on it at the time.
Fwiw, I think management could have talked to Swayman 10 years before the contract was up and it wouldn't have made a difference. They were going to take this to the end of camp, make it public and squeeze every nickel no matter when it started. If the Bruins offered $8.25 in July, we'd have a $9.5m goalie signed in October. (That last part is my opinion.)