Swayman Vs The Bruins

[SI90]

The Swayman saga with BOS is interesting. You have an impasse with contract negotiations. There’s been rumors from both sides of reported offers. Cam Neely, somewhat surprising for an executive said in a press conference a snide remark “ I know there’s 64 million reasons I’d be in camp now”

Now you have reports from Swaymans agent that those numbers were inaccurate.
Also, Swayman is still holding a grudge from his arbitration hearing. Saying he used it as motivation. That’s great to use as motivation but arbitration is part of the sport, you can’t be that sensitive. If you’re holding grudges then just request a trade. This whole saga is interesting.

How does this end?

https://x.com/i/web/status/1841831916317675607

Click to read more...

 

[TheDawnOfANewTage]

Swayman will be traded, Bruins have botched this about as badly as possible.

There will be those calling Swayman/players selfish, ignoring that the game is always in favor of the billionaire owners. That 64 mil woulda been plenty, imo, had they not offered it the way they did.

Oh, and I don’t think Swayman should take the arbitration so seriously (if that isn’t just a gambit)- it’s possible for both parties to be wrong to some degree, but Bruins seem far more at fault.

 

[SI90]

Swayman will be traded, Bruins have botched this about as badly as possible.

There will be those calling Swayman/players selfish, ignoring that the game is always in favor of the billionaire owners. That 64 mil woulda been plenty, imo, had they not offered it the way they did.

Oh, and I don’t think Swayman should take the arbitration so seriously (if that isn’t just a gambit)- it’s possible for both parties to be wrong to some degree, but Bruins seem far more at fault.

PKs take

https://x.com/i/web/status/1841544592447177008

 

[Danarqhy]

If Swayman is this thin-skinned to not realize that's all part of negotiations, maybe the B's are right to not cave to his outrageous demands.

Everyday he just comes off like a bigger whiner.

 

[Clode]

Something that has been lost in all of this is that the Bruins already have a bad history with Lewis Gross as he was Torey Krugs agent when the Bs pulled their offer to him off the table right before free agency. While Swayman is probably still a bit jaded from the arb. hearing but something tells me that its Gross holding a grudge more than Swayman is.

 

[norrisnick]

If Swayman is this thin-skinned to not realize that's all part of negotiations, maybe the B's are right to not cave to his outrageous demands.

Everyday he just comes off like a bigger whiner.

If Neely is this thin-skinned to not realize not prostrating yourself in front of management is all part of negotiations, maybe the B's might need to find new management.

Every day he just comes off like a bigger whiner.

 

[hurdemz]

I dunno why everyone is on Neely's ass about what he said. I love the fact that bostons execs are calling him out for "setting a new standard for other goalies". Wish the leafs would of played hardball with nylander/marner like Neely is.

 

[Voight]

Knowing Jeremy Jacobs... are we really shocked?

 

[Dr Jan Itor]

I have no issue with Boston staying where they are. It's the reality of their cap situation (~$8.5M in space) and I don't think that Swayman has quite earned his place to reset the goalie market.

If they were at $5M or $6M long-term, it would be a very different story. 8 x $8M is fair. Goalies aren't treated the same as young/promising forwards or defensemen, and that's just the way it currently is.

Swayman seeming to add a premium just because he didn't like his arbitration hearing is his choice, but seems immensely counterproductive.

 

[Idiot Stick]

 

[MessierII]

I have no problem with what Boston is doing honestly. This is a guy who has never played a single season as a true number 1. He’s never started 50+ games and he’s never had the pressure of being the guy without a strong partner in tandem. Why does he think he’s the guy to reset the market?

 

[Mattilaus]

Maybe Neely wasn't lying. Maybe he didn't offer 64 million but he sat down one night and decided to make a list of all the reasons he would be playing and he was able to think of 64 million reasons not related to money.

Reason number 1, I like the yellow on the jerseys, reason number 2.....

 

[McGarnagle]

Here's where I stand

1. Lewis Gross is an antagonistic and inflexible agent who had an axe to grind against the Bruins after the Krug negotiations in 2020 and is probably the biggest factor driving a wedge between both parties

2. Swayman is a baby with regard to last year's arbitration getting in his head. And while I generally support workers getting their fair market value, he's clearly looking out for himself and his wallet with little regard for his teammates or helping the team be competitive - and this is where he's losing the fans

3. The Bruins were being fair with their negotiations until Neely let frustration get to him and let the $64 million reasons comment slip, and I believe that was the point of no return

This is the most acrimonious relationship we've seen in the Bruins organization since Bill Guerin walked out in 2002. I don't see it recovering.

 

[Akrapovince]

I have no issue with Boston staying where they are. It's the reality of their cap situation (~$8.5M in space) and I don't think that Swayman has quite earned his place to reset the goalie market.

If they were at $5M or $6M long-term, it would be a very different story. 8 x $8M is fair. Goalies aren't treated the same as young/promising forwards or defensemen, and that's just the way it currently is.

Swayman seeming to add a premium just because he didn't like his arbitration hearing is his choice, but seems immensely counterproductive.

I’m not sure you can claim it is counterproductive if you don’t know what his end goal is.

It could literally be “I’m worth 8 million dollars, but to play on a team that doubted my ability, the price tag is 8.5 million”. And if they trade me, great. Win-win.

And we can replace the actual reason with anything, team’s pay premiums and players ask for premiums all the time with different circumstances. Doesn’t mean that it’s counterproductive.

 

[Leon Lucius Black]

If the rumour of $8M a year is true, the Bruins offer is more than generous and they shouldn't give in.

Swayman is a good goalie, but he hasn't even been a full-time starter who has shown he can play 55-60 games.. his career high is 44 games.

 

[BostonBob]

PKs take

https://x.com/i/web/status/1841544592447177008

Hey PK - you should really take your own advice here and shut up because you don't know what you are talking about. Boston did not send a 1st round pick to Ottawa in the Ullmark deal. Pretty hard to take anything he says seriously after that.

 

[Drew4u]

The Bruins are in the right here, and should let Swayman go. Goalies are the most random position and this has already been proven. No goalie is worth over 8 mill imo.

Also wtf is wrong with Swayman for rejecting that contract. How rich the Bruins owners are is irrelevant. Take the f***ing money. You're going to regret this in 2 years.

 

[gstommylee]

If Neely is this thin-skinned to not realize not prostrating yourself in front of management is all part of negotiations, maybe the B's might need to find new management.

Every day he just comes off like a bigger whiner.

and Boston would STILL NOT give him 9m no matter whos the upper management and GM is.

 

[wintersej]

Everything before the Bruins came out and said something that was in the media made Boston look cheap and bad. None of those rumors were obviously coming from Boston's side. Gross was trying to build up pressure on Boston through the Chiclets guys. Cool, well played.

Heading into a potential no contract on the first day of the season... you don't want to be the side with the fans against you.

So Boston let out their extremely extremely reasonable offer to shift the narrative. Of course them rounding up to 64m instead of down to 63m left Gross with a chance to call them all liars. That was a mistake. But them going to the media after Gross had been sneaky leaking to the media to drive the narrative is totally reasonable.

The Bruins aren't the Harry Sinden Bruins. Pasta, McAvoy, all the guys are fairly paid. 8x8 is fair for Swayman.

It's Swayman's camp wanting to stick to 8 years that is the problem here, really. It would be so much easier to agree on a 4x7 deal and let Swayman cash in again before he is 30 just like Helly and Saros did.

 

[Master P]

Trade him at this point. Doesn’t seem worth the headache.

 

[Breakers]

I can’t get over a guy becoming offended at a process THAT HE ELECTED FOR.

Go to a comedy club where the comedians roast the crowd if you’re easily offended.

 

[I Hate Blake Coleman]

I hope he gets his money.

 

[Raccoon Jesus]

Everything before the Bruins came out and said something that was in the media made Boston look cheap and bad. None of those rumors were obviously coming from Boston's side. Gross was trying to build up pressure on Boston through the Chiclets guys. Cool, well played.

Heading into a potential no contract on the first day of the season... you don't want to be the side with the fans against you.

So Boston let out their extremely extremely reasonable offer to shift the narrative. Of course them rounding up to 64m instead of down to 63m left Gross with a chance to call them all liars. That was a mistake. But them going to the media after Gross had been sneaky leaking to the media to drive the narrative is totally reasonable.

The Bruins aren't the Harry Sinden Bruins. Pasta, McAvoy, all the guys are fairly paid. 8x8 is fair for Swayman.

It's Swayman's camp wanting to stick to 8 years that is the problem here, really. It would be so much easier to agree on a 4x7 deal and let Swayman cash in again before he is 30 just like Helly and Saros did.

I'd love to be a fly on the wall for all of this because even though I don't really think much of it is out of line, both sides have made it unnecessarily contentious.

from a logistical standpoint I have to wonder what the front office is thinking...you have a goalie you raked in arbitration, represented by an agent notorious for this AND with recent bad blood, AND you just traded away your alternative leverage (Ullmark)...and you just assume he's going to play nice? That seems like a bad assumption and the major misstep that's leading to all the grumpiness. I don't blame Gross or Swayman for holding them hostage as such, minus the theatrics. Assuming it was all in good faith, of course.

I do think both sides swallow their pride and get something done. It's the best ending for everyone involved and maybe I'm being naive but it just seems like both are playing extreme hardball. The question for me is just--and it's literally a question, I have no idea--is Swayman's mental game strong enough to get to work after this or is he all psyched out because of 'what the team thinks of him' in arbitration and offers and otherwise.

I dont know, if Im the front office, maybe i start the season with Korpisalo and get some wins just to add some pressure.

I could be swayed on either side here, I think...I'm just legitimately intrigued. Negotiations are always what I nerd out on