Jeremy Swayman exposes the Boston Bruins with a list of criticism during his last arbitration hearing
The Boston Bruins have been exposed by Jeremy Swayman as he has wrote down the list of all the criticism he received during last season's arbitration case.
Tensions are rising between the Boston Bruins & their unsigned restricted free agent goalie Jeremy Swayman as the start of the regular season nears. There's been ongoing negotiations but the two sides have yet to agree on a new contract & things are becoming very personal.
One of the reasons for the delay is Swayman's refusal to go through salary arbitration again. He had a negative experience last off season & felt the Bruins didn't treat him fairly during negotiations.
In the upcoming Amazon docuseries «Faceoff: Inside the NHL,» Swayman shared his thoughts on the arbitration process.
Determined to improve, Swayman made note of the criticisms he faced and set out to prove his worth.
Before the 2024 playoffs, Swayman had mostly played behind Linus Ullmark, limiting his opportunities in the postseason. In 2022, he appeared in five games against the Carolina Hurricanes, posting a 3-2 record, but the Bruins lost the series in seven games. In 2023, after the Bruins' record-setting 65-win season, Swayman didn't start until Game 7 of the first round, where the Bruins were eliminated by the Florida Panthers in overtime.
In 2024, Swayman finally got his chance, helping the Bruins defeat the Toronto Maple Leafs in seven games, winning all four of his starts with an impressive .950 save percentage. Though the Bruins were knocked out by the Panthers in the second round, Swayman was solid, posting a .917 save percentage in six games.
In 20 career playoff games, Swayman has a 9-10 record, a .922 save percentage, and a 2.38 goals-against average. He believes he's proven himself both in the regular season and when it matters most in the playoffs, and he wants to be paid accordingly. However, the Bruins seem hesitant, even after trading away Ullmark in the offseason.
