NHL Rumor Mill – October 3, 2024
Looking at possible trade destinations for Jeremy Swayman and the latest on Kirill Kaprizov in today’s NHL Rumor Mill.
DAILY FACEOFF: Mike Gould looks at some potential trade destinations for Jeremy Swayman if the Boston Bruins decide to move him.
Gould suggested the Chicago Blackhawks, Colorado Avalanche, Detroit Red Wings and Philadelphia Flyers as clubs that need a reliable starting goaltender.
SPORTSNET: Ryan Dixon proposed the Vegas Golden Knights, Utah Hockey Club, and the Blackhawks.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Trade rumors about Swayman started on Monday after Bruins president Cam Neely hinted his club had offered the goaltender a contract worth $64 million, breaking down as an average annual value of $8 million for the league maximum eight seasons.
Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman (NHL Images).
That prompted an immediate response from Swayman’s agent claiming no such offer had been made. Gould’s colleague Frank Seravalli recently reported the actual offer from the Bruins was $62.4 million, or $7.8 million annually for eight seasons.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman had reported that Swayman was seeking a contract comparable to teammate Charlie McAvoy (eight years, $9.5 million per season). It’s believed he’s reduced that asking price to “low 9’s, high 8’s” but the Bruins are sticking with 8×8.
It’s also been reported the Bruins remain determined to sign Swayman. There’s no indication that he’s going to ask for a trade.
Nevertheless, the Bruins will seek a big return for Swayman if they put him on the trade block. The acquiring team must also be able to afford to pay what he’s seeking on his next contract.
Looking at Gould’s and Dixon’s lists, Utah is in the best position in terms of cap space ($9.92 million) and tradeable assets thanks to their depth in draft picks and promising young talent.
The Blackhawks ($5.9 million) and Flyers ($3.17 million) also have the draft picks and prospects to make a competitive pitch. However, they would have to send some salary to Boston to make room for Swayman’s new contract.
The Red Wings also have depth in tradeable assets to tempt the Bruins but they have just over $198K in cap space after re-signing Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond to lucrative new contracts. They’d have to shed a significant amount of salary to do this deal.
Colorado has over $2 million in cap space but they also face uncertainty about the futures of forwards Gabriel Landeskog and Valeri Nichushkin. They won’t make major moves until they get clarity on those two.
The Golden Knights always seem to be sniffing around for a big deal to keep them among the Stanley Cup contenders. However, they lacked cap space and depleted their prospect pool in previous deals.
THE HOCKEY NEWS: Dylan Loucks reports Minnesota Wild owner Craig Leipold isn’t concerned about his club’s ability to re-sign Kirill Kaprizov.
The 28-year-old winger’s name surfaced in recent speculation suggesting the Blackhawks would pursue him if he goes to free agency in 2026. The earliest the Wild can sign him to a contract extension is next July.
Leipold pointed out his club will get a significant increase in cap space next summer. That’s when the contract buyouts of Zach Parise and Ryan Suter dropped from a combined $14.7 million to $1.66 million over the remainder of the buyouts.
The Wild owner insists his club will re-sign Kaprizov. “I will tell you nobody will offer more money than us, or longer,” said Leipold. “So all we have to do is prove to him that we want to win.”
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Kaprizov is the Wild’s foundation player and leading scorer. They want to build around him but are handcuffed by their expensive buyouts of Parise and Suter. They’ll likely be major players in next summer’s trade and free-agent markets once the cap hit of those buyouts drops.
I’m not sold on Swayman being able to carry the Bruins for the next 8 years at a ridiculous salary. I think they should trade him if he is unwilling to sign for 7.5-8 per year.
Agreed! I don’t see Bruins getting fair value here, because he has not realy done much but show promise, which may not Pan out
Paul H and redmonsters, again I bring up the question posed to Obe yesterday should the decision become to trade his rights. And I put it that way because, if any team is prepared to deal for him, THEY would then have to take over the negotiations in order to come to some $$/term that suits him. For that reason, the other team would almost have to demand the right to talk to him and his agent first.
Then we come to the question of what Sweeney would want in return.
Would their demands be based upon the fact that he is a goalie drafted 7 years ago in Round 4 – 111th overall – who has only played 132 career games and who, in their view (as well as that of most fans from what we’ve read in here), has yet to prove to their satisfaction that he could handle a # 1 starter position with 50 to 60 games played? In other words, a mid-range pick and maybe a prospect or bottom 6 F?
On the other hand, if management privately believes he IS capable of becoming that # 1 50 – 60 game goalie, but have been trying to keep the $$ as low as possible so as to deal with other coming roster issues, do they demand something significantly beyond the above, like a first- or second-round pick and an established F with term? That, of course, would betray their true assessment of what they have and if he was dealt and went onto blossom elsewhere … well, what they got in return had better have been damned good!
There are, too, other potential roadblocks IF the team making the best offer is in a re-building mode and, in their conversations with Swayman and his agent, it becomes clear that he has no interest in getting involved with that, and so holds firm to his long-term (7 years in that case) and $9 million + demands, which might not suit the interested team. Most – if not all – top contending teams have decent to good goaltending now and very little to zilch in cap space to meet his demands without giving Boston a top player making close to what Swayman is demanding.
Talk about a nightmare.
George, I think any team can talk to him and likely have been. He is an unsigned FA. No different than if they wanted to offer sheet him, which I think they have been able to the entire time.
I would be shocked if Sweeney hasn’t spoken to other teams, and equally shocked if teams who are considering getting him for fewer assets than he is worth, due to the situation you lay out, want to know what his bottom line is.
I would add the B’s would prefer an NHL caliber a tender back, but that’s me making an assumption.
What I would add, and I keep harping on this because it is true, the position is volatile. It just is, we have the data. Yes there are a few in the league today that are exceptions, but I can count them on one hand. And most get get less than Swayman is asking for. That is why the goalie market hasn’t risen like other positions. It isn’t just Boston that knows this.
Signing a tender, with a 132 career games, playing along side his equal the entire time, to a big $$ contract for 8 years is risky as fuq. The $7.8 x 8 is super risky already.
Especially if you don’t know if he can handle the pressure of being the guy without his Vezina caliber buddy starting the next game everytime he struggles, and he will at times. Imagine after this whole saga. He does seem a little sensitive……
I don’t think the B’s trade him for pennies on the $, because he and his agent are pointing a gun to their head to maximize his deal. They are free to do so, the B’s are free to say no, and let him sit. That’s what I would do, as their offer is fair, even a bit more than fair IMO. We’ll see how it ends. Far from ideal, that’s for sure. Stay calm Sweeney, and patient.
No Ray, any other team trying to talk to Swayman or his agent would be tampering. Boston is the only team allowed to negotiate with the Swayman camp. Let`s say I was the GM in Utah and I wanted to offer sheet Swayman. I put together what I`m prepared to pay Swayman and I send it to his agent. I`m not allowed to negotiate or even comment in passing to the Swayman camp. That`s why most offer sheets seem to be higher than than reasonable for free agents. You only get one shot so basically it has to be your best offer. Unless Boston gives a team permission to talk to Swayman or his agent, any talk would be deemed tampering
Ray, I had a longer response, but Yogi beat me to it re the “negotiating” process, so I deleted that portion.
As to the other portion, let’s compare Swayman with Ullmark, and note what the latter got Boston in a trade:
Swayman appeared in 132 games for Boston with the team registering a 79 – 33 – 15 record for a points pace of .655 and Swayman contributing 12 SO, a 2.34gaa and 0.919 save %.
Over the same period Ullmark appeared in 130 games with the team registering an 88 – 26 – 5 record for a points pace of .696 and Ullmark contributing 5 SO, a 2.22gaa and 0.923 save %.
Point being, Ullmark was every bit as effective as Swayman – even a tad better in certain categories – and what they received for him in trade was a 1st round pick at # 25 (in effect, one of their own picks dealt away earlier), a 4th line C (Kastelic costing $835,000 off the cap), and an inconsistent goalie (Korpisalo) costing $3 mil off the cap for 4 more years (Ottawa withholds $1 mil per).
Unfortunately, what I don’t have access to is who was the opposition faced by each goalie in those game appearances … which could make significant differences … but you can bet Sweeney does.
It would be revealing to see that breakdown.
With the NYR Goaltender
Igor Shesterkin who will be 29 in december and wants $12.M……is he $3.M to $4.M better than Shesterkin❓
Bostons goaltender Jeremy Swayman who will be 26 in Nov, it sounds like he is asking for $8.?M-$9.M…..
maybe they should do a 1-3 year bridge deal to
see what he can do……..❓ if not dont be surprized if he will ask for a Trade mid November and refuse to play for boston….
bye then Korpo will start to fall apart anyway…..
If Swayman s agent feels his client is one of the best goalies in the league,have him sign a one year prove ir to me contract as a no.1 goalie playing 50-60 games and then cash in one year later at 26 years old!
What, exactly, does Swayman have to prove? Since coming up full-time in 2021-22 it wasn’t his decision to be deployed in a 50-50 tandem situation.
In 2020-21, in a 10-game “look” all he did was go 7-3 with a 2 SO, a 1.50gaa and save % of 0.945.
Small wonder they brought him up for good the following season and, since then when called upon to play in the tandem system, has appeared in 122 games going 72 – 30 – 15 with 10 SO, a 2.30gaa and 0.916 save %.
Hey George. How about this lunacy. Ottawa sends Ullmark BACK to Boston with Norris and the proverbial 2nd round pick. Maybe throw Ridley Greig in there. For Swayman (signed at 8.5×8–zero no-trade clause) and Lohrei.
Sens get a long term goalie signed and a young stud D. Bruins get their other goalie back whom they can resign at their leisure for a little less and Norris who might stay healthy, and a new Marchand in Greig. Korpisallo becomes a buyout casualty or who knows what, that’s a tomorrow problem.
I could easily see both fan bases saying that’s the stupidest thing they’ve ever read. But…no matter who he gets traded to it’s all about believing that this kid is the real deal in nets.
Those numbers are fantastic but remember he played behind the best team ever assembled in the NHL and some other great teams my son would have won half those games.
George O,do you think the Bruins defensive system and structure might have something to do with Swayman s success?
You’re about to find out.
Same will you with Ullmark!
Best team EVER assembled in the NHL? I would think the 1976-77 Habs would dispute that
80gp 60 8 12 132 pts 387gf 171ga +216 with no one else even close, and then in the playoffs swept St. Louis 4 – 0, defeated the NYI 4 – 2 ten swept Boston 4 – 0 to win the cup.
So, all told, 94 games played that season with a record of 72 – 10 – 12 for a points pace of .830.
Boston has had some very good teams the past few seasons but nothing even close to that.
Yeah, but we’re not functioning with visions of misplaced grandeur.
Going to find out about Ullmark soon enough .. got to Boston in 2021 his win totals went up and his GA went down .. product of the Bruins D system
George your 100% right about Habs great season but Boston had 133 points I know they played more games but was most points ever. One could argue harder to keep winning over longer period of time. Either way my point is my son in Bruin net would have won half those games put Swayman on average team his numbers wouldn’t be as good. I love Swayman but Bruins over paying
Well Obe – and others – here’s some stats for last season gleaned from the Stat.Muse showing total shots on goal for the season and average shots-per game for each team – from fewest to most.
Note that Boston tanked in the bottom 3rd – back of, of all teams, Ottawa which illustrates that the Senators’ biggest problem was goaltending consistency
Carolina 2,101 – 25.62
Philadelphia 2.225 – 27.13
Florida 2,279 – 27.79
Los Angeles 2,296 – 28
Edmonton 2,307 – 28.13
Vancouver 2,340 – 28.54
Seattle 2,391 – 28.62
Dallas 2,350 – 28.66
Buffalo 2,401 – 29.28
NYR 2,418 – 29.49
Winnipeg 2,429 – 29.62
Tampa 2,430 – 29.63
Ottawa 2,432 – 29.66
Minnesota 2,437 – 29.72
Calgary 2,438 – 29.73
Colorado 2,444 – 29.8
Toronto 2,447 – 29.84
Columbus 2,458 – 29.98
New Jersey 2,460 – 30
Pittsburgh 2,479 – 30.23
Vegas 2,487 – 30.33
Washington 2,503 – 30.52
Boston 2,504 – 30.54
Arizona 2,598 – 31.68
Anaheim 2,611 – 32.51
St. Louis 2,635 – 32.13
Detroit 2,657 – 32.4
Chicago 2,681 – 32.7
NYI 2,686 – 32.76
Montreal 2,739 – 33.4
San Jose 2,881 – 35.13
ranked for Boston … not “tanked” LOL
And when you see where Philadelphia ranks it’s small wonder that Tortorella says his goaltending “scares the crap out of me”
Bottom line – Swayman (and Ullmark) faced more shots for the season and on average per game than 22 of the league’s 32 teams (so much for the Bruins vaunted “defensive system” eh Sr?).
And more power to the two goalies.
George I was a goalie and goalie Dad I study goalies I said years ago seeing Swayman play he is the real deal. I also know all shots on goal not equal I never counted them for my Son. Scoring chances and quality of shots most important some shots they count my Mom could stop. I want Sway as a Bruin fan but not 8 million yet.
IMO the best place to get team stats is Natural Stat Trick. Especially tenders individually as well.
Since this debate is about Swayman and what he is worth, and Ullmark about how he will do in Ottawa, I did the last 3 years to encompass their work. All strengths vs 5 on 5, as tending is super important on the PK. George is right BOS didn’t defend better than OTT last year. Over the last 3, absolutely, not even close. But both teams will be different this year, we shall see.
IMO shots is not a great measure, scoring chances are, and need to include the high danger, as they go in the net way more. Agree with Obe on that, data proves it as well.
Expected goals against includes all of that. On the link BOS #3 over last 3 years, where both Ullmark and Swayman played. OTT 21st, but IMO they improve just like they did last year. Yes tending was OTT’s problem last season
https://www.naturalstattrick.com/teamtable.php?fromseason=20212022&thruseason=20232024&stype=2&sit=all&score=all&rate=n&team=all&loc=B&gpf=410&fd=&td=
Here are the tender stats over that same time. Goals Saved Above Average is the best stat, it includes all variables like shot QTY and quality, and yes the more you play the more you can accumulate, minutes played matters.
https://www.naturalstattrick.com/playerteams.php?fromseason=20212022&thruseason=20232024&stype=2&sit=all&score=all&stdoi=g&rate=n&team=ALL&pos=S&loc=B&toi=6500&gpfilt=none&fd=&td=&tgp=410&lines=single&draftteam=ALL
#1 Shesterkin, #2 Sorokin, #3 Ullmark, #4 Helle, #5 Saros, #6 Swayman.
Swayman deserves to get paid somewhere around Saros, or even less than Saros. He’s younger, OK maybe a bit more, which the B’s have offered. Swayman’s demands are out of line. Both Sorokin and Saros were signed this off season, this is actually pretty simple.
Obe, all I’m saying is, Sway man doesn’t dictate when he starts ,,, that’s the coach’s decision … but when he is called upon to play he plays very well ,,, the stats bear that out,
As to “quality” of shots … of course they differ greatly, but until someone starts publishing stats to differentiate between a 90-foot floater and a laser from 15 out in the slot, what we get in terms of stats is it.
We’ll never know if the majority of shots Boston allows are good scoring chances or easy -peasy stops by the goalie. But neither can we say that the majority are shots our mothers could stop. The NHL isn’t a fat and lean league, beer league or community league.
Unless you’ve played at a level equivalent to Major Junior, NCAA, AHL or even ECHL you can’t appreciate the difference … not even through study. Did you play at any of those levels?
I don’t see anyone signing Swayman for more than the above reported max offer by Boston of 8×8. If his agent is the one pushing for the “low 9s, high 8’s” then he is doing a disservice to his client. If Swayman himself is the one sticking to those numbers, then repercussions (trade, missing the season, etc.) are all on him and his fragile ego, and will be well deserved.
George O Ullmark is about to find out also!
Couild be … and if it all goes south again for Ottawa I will be man enough to admit I was wrong. Hope to hear the same from you if it all falls apart in Boston with Korpisalo.
Sway … if true and he wants McAvoy $$$ that’s ridiculous… offer him 8×8 he don’t take it trade him … get a goal scoring winger back they have 8.6 million to play with .. they have 4-5 goalies in the mix start season with best 2 … all this should’ve been solved a long time ago .. are these people not talking to each other ?
I think part of the issue Swayman has is this stance that he isnt worth someone like McAvoy? Im not saying he is or isnt, but why isnt a top goalie in general worth the same as their best D? You need a top tier goalie to win.. you only play 1.
Guys like Hellebuyck are getting 8.5, Shesterkin will get over 10, Bobrovsky is making 10 and was doing so long before winning a cup.
Swayman doesnt have a Vezina- but part of that is because he was splitting duties…and more importantly, every other position is seeing guys get locked up for big money coming out of entry level deals.. like Slafkovsky, Caufield and Guenther. Those guys arent proven but they get paid on potential not what they did. Goalies are treated differently.
Again, not saying he is worth more than McAvoy – just saying relative to positions- he isnt going to sign away UFA years based on stats he accumulated sharing the net, without being compensated for it
Sam, couldn’t agree more. Sort of goes with my possible trade scenarios above.
Ullmark won the Vezina in 2023. He did carry the bigger workload, but also had far better numbers than Swayman.
Last year, their numbers were near identical. Imo, Boston probably traded the wrong guy.
Finding a fit now with his rumored demands will be very difficult. Boston may have lost a lot of leverage if they can find a trade partner.
Time will tell I suppose. But either way they need to come to common ground or move on from each other. Sooner rather than later.
The position is volatile, the position is volatile, the position is volatile. The B’s offer is more than fair.
Here are the top 10 tenders by AAV, so you folks tell me which ones have been good for the teams, and how these deals rank with B’s offer.
Carey Price, $10.5×8 – Terrible contract, even before injuries ended it.
Vassy, $9.5X8 – good contract for 1st 2 years. OK for 3rd, bad last year. We’ll see.
Bob, $10Mx7 – brutal contract for 1st 5 years. Won cup was slightly better than average in playoffs.
Sorokin, $8.25×8 – Just signed it. Been the #1 for 3 years at 50+ games. #’s as good or better than Swayman. Deserves more than Swayman. Risky deal, but OK, he’s as proven as you get.
Hellebuyck $8.5X7 – Vezina. Always plays over 60 gms. Consistently excellent year after year after year. One of the best in NHL. Proven.
Saros $7.7Mx8 – Just signed, less than B’s offer. Clear cut starter 64, 64 & 67 gms. Similar #’s to Swayman, crappier team. Proven.
Gibson, $6.5×8 – was one of the best for 3-4 years. Now can’t trade him without eating $$. Volatile.
Binnington, $6×6 – some good some bad. Volatile snaps like a twig. True starter though.
Markstrom $6Mx6, Good, Good, Sucks, Sucks, Good again. Volatile performance.
Grubauer, $5.9×6 – very good in a tandem. Got starter gig and paid. Sucked. Eat salary, add a sweetener if you want to trade that contract. Volatile.
Of the 10 guys I listed above, 4 play to their contract, 2 of which are just starting them, 6 don’t. Hellebuyck, Vassy and Sorokin, Saros. And some of those guys will struggle for long stretches I bet.
Somebody needs to explain to me why Swayman is worth more than $ than Saros or Sorokin or Helle. IMO he isn’t, and it’s kinda obvious.
sway…. This is all about the 2023 arbitration hearing ….now he wants $$$$
Ray- here is the only issue with the volatility argument.. There are 12 forwards on a team – 384 in the league
6 d- 192 in the league
there are 64 goalies!
Now do bad skater contracts? How many buyouts?
per capita the position is no more volatile than any other position- tonnes of bad deals out there everywhere. Buyouts happen all the time
regardless – just bc the GMs think its volatile doesnt mean the goalies have to accept it.
I will think he will get paid some where whether its the bruins or not.
The Bruins are comparing his contract to existing goalie deals which is totally normal and he is saying compare me to everyone else not just goalies.
This reminds of the NFL shift that took place with offensive lineman 15 years ago that led to their massive spike in salaries..
interesting stuff
I think he is possibly worth more because he signed his deal later and salaries went up. Matthews makes more than McDavid- definitely not worth more.
What Sam said!!!
Sam, the Matthews, and now Draisaitl contracts is kinda my argument. Price signed his deal years ago, nobody got paid more, not even Vassy. Price was just OK and underperformed to the contract. Matthews, Draisaitl, McDavid, MacKinnon, Pasta, Tkachuk, all played consistently good, and are still the best. The data is clear. With a tender who the heck knows from year to year? Even the best ones.
If you want to list the top 10 forwards on here and debate, have at er, prove me wrong.
What I am saying is tender salaries have not gone up like other positions, and it’s justified by hard #’s and evidence.
If Boston or somebody else wants to pay Swayman based on 3 years as a 1B, fill your boots. Boston has offered a more than fair deal. Our debate started by me disagreeing that Sweeney should be catching heat, I don’t think he should. Just making the case why I would do exactly what he is doing.
Rick DiPietro signed a 15 year , $67,500,000 contract with the New York Islanders, including $67,500,000 guaranteed, and an average annual salary of $4,500,000.
Sway….Hearing you’re not worthy of what you think you’re worthy of, that was hard to hear. You don’t forget what was said. I wrote them down and I looked at them the other day, and I had a couple checkmarks. My biggest knock was
how I wasn’t trustworthy in playoffs.
This is very telling on Swayman’s mindset for well over a year
I see Boston plucked a G off waivers from Vancouver – 25 y/o Jiri Patera $775,000 ELC originally drafted in 2017 Rd 6 161st overall. 8 NHL gp 3.57gaa 0.902 save %.
Looks to be a possible replacement for Bussi in the minors.
It’s been a long time that the Bruins had to worry about their goaltending… it’s time now
Swaymans value by years if he has a great 8 years, keep in mind he’s restricted now and the cap going up. Seems like a fair deal for both sides.
1st year 6 million
2nd 6.5
3rd 7.5
4th 8
5th 8.5
6th 9
7th 10
8th 10
Comes to 65.5 over 8 years 8.1875 AAV
If Boston doesn’t want to pay Swayman $8×8 because of his relatively small body of work, what team would offer up a 1st and 2nd (or any assets) and then have to pay him $8×7? IMO he’s painted himself into a corner.
Very interesting read & could be true ……
Swayman Speculation
Pure speculation by me, but I believe this is what happened over the offseason and training camp between Swayman’s agent Lewis Gross and Bruins management.
With the NHL players finally paying off their debt from Covid years, Gross knew the cap would be rising significantly over the next few years. This was the time to “reset the market,” as Swayman stated on
@MarcLewisIsCool
podcast in August.
Aware the Bruins never leak information to the media, Gross figured he could pressure the Bruins into overpaying by leaking info to the media and a holdout in camp.
He leaked the lowball offer 4x$6.25m to
@ryanwhitney6
early September. The Bruins come off as cheap. He knows they won’t say anything.
The Bruins then offer 8 x $8m at the beginning of training camp/mid September, but Gross says no. He doesn’t bother telling Swayman, he knows the Bruins will cave to the pressure.
Then the unexpected happens. Neely tells the public the B’s offered $64M (8x$8m) on Monday. Gross never told Swayman about that offer. He has to do damage control now, his client is seen as unreasonable in the public eye.
Gross issues the instagram denial Monday night and wants to “take a few days to discuss.”
Gross then attempts to save face with his client and the public by leaking to
@frank_seravalli
and
@FriedgeHNIC
that the offer was actually 8x$7.8M AND that he is ONLY asking for 8x$8.5m.
Remember, both Whit and Friedman reported on their podcasts in early September that Swayman was asking for the McAvoy deal (8x$9.5m). Who is giving these guys this information? Are these reporters making up numbers?
Gross and Swayman are now uncertain about holding out into the season. Swayman wants to play and Gross has been exposed as the Regina George of NHL agents.
In an attempt to save face, Swayman accepts a very similar 8x$65m offer from the Bruins on opening night. Both sides move on, the Bruins win the next 8 Stanley Cups and everyone lives happily ever after.
Heh. Good work, Joe. And say hello to Alice and The Mad Hatter for me over there in Wonderland.
That a C&P.. don’t get your panties in a bunch
Made me google who the heck Regina George is. Joe, should I watch the movie?
I should Google that myself