Jeremy Swayman made it clear he didn’t wish to undergo wage arbitration after final summer season’s foray. Because it seems, the Bruins had been no extra desirous to undergo the customarily prickly course of with their prized goalie once more.
After Swayman declined to file for arbitration on Friday, the B’s bypassed the chance for club-elected arbitration on Saturday, although submitting would have protected them in opposition to one other staff coming in with a proposal sheet.
Maybe which means the B’s imagine their shut sufficient to a deal to forego utilizing the hammer obtainable to them. Possibly they’re merely not involved about a proposal sheet, a instrument that’s not often utilized by groups. Or maybe the B’s didn’t wish to make a transfer that will antagonize their No. 1 goalie.
On July 1, after loading up with new free agent signings like Elias Lindholm, Nikita Zadorov and Max Jones, GM Don Sweeney mentioned that getting a deal finished for Swayman remained a precedence, indicating that going to arbitration is just not what he’d love to do both.
“Sway is a big part of this whole dynamic of what we’re trying to put together,” mentioned Sweeney at the begin of the week. “It’s a priority for us, we’re going to continue to find a negotiated landing spot, and the timing is what it is, however long that takes. It’s not impacted by what we did today. We’re in a great spot to find as I said, the best negotiated deal we can find for both sides.”
Swayman did undergo arbitration final summer season. The netminder got here in in search of a $4.8 million wage and the B’s countered with $2 million. Swayman finally was awarded $3.475 million in arbitration.
“There’s no ill will on the process, because I understand that. I’m not the first player to go through it. I’m not the last,” mentioned Swayman throughout final season. “But I definitely don’t wish it upon any of my friends and teammates moving forward and I don’t want to do it ever again as well.”
And he gained’t must undergo it this summer season.
How lengthy it takes for the 2 sides to hammer out a deal stays to be seen, however the B’s can’t afford to not get it finished. The already traded away Vezina Award winner Linus Ullmark to Ottawa for a first-round choose (Dean Letourneau), Mark Kastelic and Joonas Korpisalo, Swayman’s would-be backup.
That commerce was made in anticipation of Swayman’s subsequent deal being a pricey one, presumably within the neighborhood of $8 million per season, relying on the time period.
