The Boston Bruins have secured their star goaltender, Jeremy Swayman, with a lucrative eight-year deal worth $66 million, bringing an end to a tense contract dispute that had threatened to disrupt the start of the regular season. Swayman, a restricted free agent, had been absent from training camp, sparking concerns about his availability for the upcoming campaign.
With a December 1 deadline looming, the Bruins were facing the possibility of losing their No. 1 goalie for the entire season, a scenario that would have been disastrous for a team that had relied heavily on Swayman and Linus Ullmark’s impressive goaltending tandem last year.
After a summer of negotiations, Swayman had been awarded a $3.475 million deal in arbitration, but he expressed his dissatisfaction with the process, stating that he never wanted to go through it again. His new contract, which carries an average annual value of $8.25 million, puts him among the top-paid goalies in the league, tied with Ilya Sorokin and behind only Sergei Bobrovsky, Andrei Vasilevskiy, and Connor Hellebuyck.
In a heartfelt message to fans, Swayman expressed his excitement to be back with the team, thanking them for their unwavering support throughout the ordeal. The deal brings a sense of relief to the Bruins, who can now focus on building on their impressive 2022-23 season, which saw them set a franchise record for points.
Swayman’s return also means that the team can put the drama of the past few months behind them, and look forward to a fresh start. Coach Jim Montgomery had been preparing for life without Swayman, but with the goalie’s return, the team can now shift their attention to the upcoming season, which begins on Tuesday against the Florida Panthers.
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