As the Boston Bruins try to navigate a tight salary cap situation and are faced with a serious turnover issue on their roster, one NHL analyst suggests the organization might be susceptible to a real issue when it comes to their goaltending situation. Former NHL netminder Martin Biron hinted that if a team badly needed a goaltender and was smart, they would send an offer sheet to Jeremy Swayman and force the Bruins to make a difficult choice.
Speaking on The Ray & Dregs Hockey Podcast, Biron was asked if there were any goalies he was keeping an eye on this summer. The question was more meant to be geared towards pending UFAs — where Biron said he was curious to see what was going to happen with Tristan Jarry out of Pittsburgh — but he then suggested the Bruins’ situation might be one to watch. Mentioning that Filip Gustavsson is an RFA in Minnesota and Swayman in Boston, another team could put both of these franchises in an awkward position.
In Boston’s case, they have Linus Ullmark on their roster. The Vezina-caliber netminder is making $5 million per season for the next two seasons and if another club tendered an offer sheet to Swayman of around $6 million, the Bruins would be left with having to make a decision. Unlikely to keep both netminders at a total cost of $11 million, the Bruins would have to choose. Either match Swayman’s deal and trade Ullmark or let Swayman leave and take a first and third-round pick as offer sheet compensation.
Biron argued that a first and a third for Swayman is a good deal for the team making the offer. The issue potentially comes with Swayman’s $6 million salary, which he believes would only be on a one-year deal with the team who acquires him set to renegotiate the contract and lock him in long-term down the road.
From Swayman’s perspective, an offer sheet might be an attractive option, especially if Ullmark is deemed the guy in Boston. If Swayman is looking at years of backup duty, he might be prone to accepting a change of scenery and a chance to be the starter somewhere else.
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