NHL insider states Jeremy Swayman is done with the Bruins offer

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Daniel Lucente
October 2, 2024 (2:53 PM)

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The situation between the Bruins and Jeremy Swayman is getting ugly, and an NHL insider has just said that the goaltender will turn down their latest offer.

This standoff between the Boston Bruins and their restricted free agent goaltender Jeremy Swayman just seems to drag on and drag on, with no resolution really within sight. It feels like the divide deepens a little with each passing day. Unfortunately, recent developments are showing that progress remains out of reach.

Insider Elliotte Friedman gave an update on the situation on his "32 Thoughts" podcast on Sportsnet Wednesday. On it, Friedman says Swayman could decline the latest offer from the Bruins team brass. That would add even more tension to a relatively contentious negotiation process.

The reputed $64 million contract the Bruins were supposedly offering him has been one of the major points of controversy. Publicly, Bruins president Cam Neely cited that figure and acted like it was on the table. However, Swayman's agent, Lewis Gross, stated publicly that it was never an offered deal, using language as sharp as to basically call Neely a liar. Such a sharp contradiction would suggest a serious communication breakdown between the two sides.

Friedman also cited the purported salary requests on the part of Swayman that may be complicating things. A report says that the two sides are $500,000 to $1 million apart. If Friedman's reporting is good, Swayman is looking to become one of the highest paid players on the Bruins, perhaps third behind stars David Pastrnak and Charlie McAvoy.

The whole saga is getting increasingly ugly, with some people even speculating about possible trade scenarios. Despite the negativity, Elliotte Friedman still believes a deal will get done eventually. But both sides seem to feel they have compromised enough already, which makes it difficult to predict who will ultimately bend first. While an agreement can still be reached before the December 1st deadline, one cannot disregard the fact that this tension is dragging on and the fans are getting worn out, while they would like nothing more than to see their goalie back onto the ice.