Key Takeaways
- An NHL executive told RG that the Jeremy Swayman contract dispute last year is affecting current RFAs as the market remains quiet.
- Swayman didn't sign a new deal until early October and then proceeded to struggle in 2024-25.
- “I think it’s something the teams, players, and agents are all considering right now, but it will be unique to each situation,” the source said.
Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Will last year’s contract standoff between goalie Jeremy Swayman and the Boston Bruins serve as a cautionary tale or motivation for this year’s remaining NHL restricted free agents?
“I think it’s something the teams, players, and agents are all considering right now, but it will be unique to each situation,” one NHL executive told RG recently. “I mean, obviously, I’m coming from the team side here, so if I were in that situation, I’d want what’s best for my team, and I’d just be like ‘Fine, you don’t want to show up for camp, let’s see how that goes for you!’
He got paid, yeah, but how’d that go for Swayman? And I’d hope the player is willing to compromise and think of his teammates, too. I get you gotta get paid what you deserve, but sometimes agents really inflate a player’s worth in the player’s mind, and it can really backfire. It can also divide a dressing room. Given the season Swayman and the Bruins had, and the fact they traded their captain and blew that room up, I’d say that was the case there.”
With NHL training camps set to begin in a month, there are still some intriguing restricted free agents unsigned. Anaheim Ducks forward Mason McTavish, Minnesota Wild forward Marco Rossi, New Jersey Devils defenseman Luke Hughes, Calgary Flames forward Connor Zary, and Nashville Predators forward Luke Evangelista all entered the weekend unsigned.
The majority of attention and NHL trade rumors continued to be focused on McTavish and Rossi, with Elite Prospects NHL insider Cam Robinson recently suggesting that Rossi could follow the path Swayman took last September and sit out of training camp until the Wild either meets his contract demands or compromises more.
As the source above referenced, Swayman sat out the entirety of the Bruins’ training camp and did not play in one preseason game leading into the 2024-25 regular season. Swayman and the Bruins traded barbs through the media, and NHL trade rumors swarmed around Swayman until the two sides finally agreed on an eight-year, $66 million ($8.25M AAV) contract two days before the Bruins lost their season opener to the Panthers in Florida.
Both the Bruins and Swayman admitted that the experience left a bad taste in their mouths. It showed on the ice as Swayman went 22-29-7 with a 3.11 GAA and .892 save percentage, and the Bruins missed the Stanley Cup playoffs for the first time since the 2015-16 season.
“I think getting off to a really good start is important. With camp being kind of short, every day matters,” another NHL executive told RG. “I would wonder if the difference between what the player wanted and what the team was offering was worth sitting out.”
Of course, only Swayman and the Bruins know the truth when it came to how far apart they were when Swayman decided not to report to training camp, but even an NHL agent admitted to RG recently that he cautions his clients when it comes to that as well.
“I’m always going to do what my client wants because I work for them, but I’m also going to try and provide the best advice I can,” the agent told RG. “If you’re not too far apart, then don’t let pride get in the way. Meet the team halfway, kick ass on the ice, and make them really pay the next time around. I think that’s why Swayman held out to be honest. He was still hurting from the arbitration case the year before, and I get that, but still, he hadn’t been a full-time No.1 in this league, and the Bruins used that against him.”
The Bruins and Swayman went before an arbitrator in the 2023 offseason, and Swayman was awarded a one-year, $3.4 million contract, but he never forgot what was said by the Bruins when they made their case.
“When you go into that room, you don’t say a word,” Swayman said in an Amazon Prime docuseries last summer.
“My arbitrator started first, he said all of these great things. The arbitrator on their side, their job is to help the management side and to rip players, and hearing that you’re not worthy of what you think you’re worthy of, that was hard to hear. You don’t forget what was said. I wrote ’em down, and I looked at ’em the other day, and I had a couple of checkmarks. My biggest knock was how I wasn’t trustworthy in the playoffs. Check.”
Another NHL agent completely disagreed with what the two sourced executives and the agent above said.
“Bleep that!” the agent exclaimed. “Sitting out of camp is the best leverage the player has, and if the GM is so worried about how it may affect his team, then bend for the team and get the player signed and there for camp.”
