The Bruins are officially set to open training camp on Wednesday, with the first full-squad skate set for the following morning in Brighton.
It remains to be seen if Jeremy Swayman will be on the frozen sheet with the rest of his teammates on Thursday.
The 25-year-old netminder has yet to sign a new deal with Boston, with several reports over the summer painting the picture of a contentious contract negotiation between the Bruins and the restricted free agent.
Earlier this month, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported on his “32 Thoughts” podcast that Swayman’s camp was looking for a sizable raise from the $3.475 million he commanded during the 2023-24 season.
“I’ve also heard the [Charlie] McAvoy contract was the ask, which was [$9.5 million],” Friedman said. “So, it’s obvious there’s a huge discrepancy here.”
While the writing has seemingly been on the wall for months that the Bruins would want to sign a young goalie fresh off a dominant playoff run to a long-term deal, Friedman noted that Boston isn’t looking to shell out such a steep annual cost via a long-term deal — instead opting for a deal worth around $6-6.5 million per year.
“I do believe at some point, there was the eight-year deal on the table, but it was in the sixes,” Friedman said of Boston’s reported offer. “So, I don’t think at any point here, anyone’s ever been close.”
