The Boston Bruins entered the offseason with a clear mission: to effectively overhaul their roster in the wake of salary-cap-clearing trades and significant retirements. The departures of stalwart veterans Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci left the team in dire need of bolstering their center depth. Rumors surrounded the organization, many insiders believing chatter involved potentially trading one of the team’s key goaltenders to get the center they needed.
Recent reports suggest that Jeremy Swayman was never seriously considered in a deal, but in pursuit of what would be deemed an upgrade over Charlie Coyle and Pavel Zacha, the Bruins reportedly came close to executing a trade involving goaltender Linus Ullmark. Ultimately the Bruins decided to hold off.
According to Ty Anderson, an insider with 98.5 The Sports Hub, the Bruins had a trade offer for Ullmark during the offseason that aligned with “fair, market value.” However, they refrained from finalizing the deal, facing challenges such as their salary cap constraints and Ullmark’s no-trade clause. He hinted that teams seemed eager to exploit the Bruins’ cap situation, complicating trade negotiations, as highlighted by their ability to unload Taylor Hall’s contract without surrendering draft picks, receiving minor-league defensemen in return.
Anderson writes:
My understanding — and this is through some backchannel rumblings and conversations, so take it with a grain of salt, of course — is that there was one team out there who had interest in giving Sweeney and the Bruins what would you consider a fair, market value return for Ullmark.
The Ullmark Trade Was Complicated So It Wasn’t Completed
Anderson suggested that there was one team genuinely interested in providing the Bruins with a fair return for Ullmark, but this trade hinged on several factors, including another corresponding trade that never materialized and Ullmark’s willingness to waive his no-trade clause. The intricate web of conditions surrounding the deal ultimately led to the deal falling through.
Again, Anderson didn’t think there were talks involving Jeremy Swayman. He wrote, “I also know that there was a rumor out there that suggested that Swayman wanted a trade to be closer to family in Alaska. What I can tell you regarding that is that Swayman’s parents no longer live in Alaska, and that that rumor is and was “bogus.”
As for what team was interested in Swayman, Anderson didn’t offer any information on that front. If Ullmark ultimately squashed the trade, it’s probably safe to assume it involved a team that was on Ullmark’s no-trade list.
Next: Could the Bruins Sell and Tank the Season if They Struggle Early?
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