Report: Jeremy Swayman’s Contract Demands Skyrocketing

The Boston Bruins made a huge decision earlier this offseason, trading one-half of their elite goaltending tandem, Linus Ullmark, to the Ottawa Senators. That left Jeremy Swayman as the undisputed No. 1 and their goalie of the future. Only problem is, Swayman is a restricted free agent, and still unsigned as the summer nears an end.

Bruins fans are getting nervous about the Swayman situation, and this latest bit of info to emerge won’t help calm them: According to Rich Keefe of WEEI, Swayman is asking for a contract number that starts with an AAV of $10 million.

Jeremy Swayman, looking for $10 million a year. That is the scoop that I have. He is looking for $10 million a year... So, I think a lot of the speculation was if he gets to $8 (million AAV), that makes him the sixth-highest-paid goalie. But from what I'm led to believe, he would like $10 million per year.

It's somewhat understandable that Swayman is turning the screws on the Bruins, as noted by Bryan Hayes on TSN: "He knows he’s got them now, they traded Ullmark. They're committed to him."

Swayman really solidified his spot in the top job in Boston as of the playoffs this past spring, as he started all but one of the Bruins' postseason games. He posted a .933 save percentage in his 12 playoff starts with a 2.15 goals-against average. During the regular season, he started 43 games, going 25-10-8 with a .916 Sv% and 2.53 GAA.

If the 25-year-old is able to secure a $10M AAV from the Bruins, that would tie him for the 2nd-highest paycheck among goaltenders in the NHL, behind only the essentially-retired Carey Price ($10.5M) and even with Sergei Bobrovsky ($10M).