It’s been a challenging negotiation for the Boston Bruins and Jeremy Swayman
Sportsnet: Elliotte Friedman on 32 Thoughts: The Podcast – Surprise Summer Emergency Pod episode on why the Boston Bruins and RFA goaltender Jeremy Swayman didn’t go to salary arbitration.
** NHLRumors.com transcription
“I had some Bruins fans asking me about Jeremy Swayman. Why didn’t the Bruins take him to arbitration?
Well, first of all, Swayman wouldn’t do it, because you’ll remember last year he said he didn’t like it, so he didn’t want to go through that again.
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If the Bruins had taken Swayman to arbitration, one thing they knew, what would happen is if the team takes the player to arbitration, the player gets to select the term. And Swayman could have selected a two-year term, which would have walked him right to unrestricted free agency. And the Bruins aren’t dumb enough to fall into that trap. They were they were not going to let that happen.
So look, to be honest, I’m not bugging too many people right now. The last I heard, they weren’t close. I think this has been a bit of a challenging negotiation, but they’ve still got time, and we’ll see how this sorts out.”
Defenseman Tyson Barrie still without a team for next season
Sportsnet: Elliotte Friedman on 32 Thoughts: The Podcast – Surprise Summer Emergency Pod episode on pending UFA defenseman Tyson Barrie.
** NHLRumors.com transcription
“This is the time we get to the point in the summer too, where you start to see some players consider some PTOs or some low-salary deals.
One guy have kind of been keeping an eye out for to see where he landed was Tyson Barrie. Real tough year in Nashville. Last year for Barrie wasn’t a fit for him or for the team. Still unsigned.
I was a little surprised at that, I thought that Barrie would be able to land somewhere by now, no problem, especially with his ability to run a power play. Think one of the really tough things for him now is that, you know, a lot of these teams, they have their power play quarterbacks, their second unit doesn’t play too much. Maybe that’s getting him squeezed a bit.
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But I know Barrie’s out there looking, anxious to prove that last year was not a true indicator where he is. And he’s not looking for a ton of money, I don’t believe, but just an opportunity to prove himself and play, and I’m looking forward to seeing where he ends up.”