The Boston Bruins enter the 2024 offseason facing a series of questions. At the top of the list is the goaltending situation with the two-headed goalie attack of Jeremy Swayman and Linus Ullmark. The goaltending duo was a large influence over the last two seasons in Boston resulting in a 2023 President’s Trophy and a pair of back-to-back playoff appearances.
As the Boston Bruins enter the summer months of 2024, many questions remain on how the B’s will utilize the cap space available to them to improve the roster. One major question to be addressed for Don Sweeny is if he wants to spend $10+ million on his goaltending position.
How will this situation unfold?
Boston Bruins 25-Year-Old Restricted Free Agent Goalie
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Jeremy Swayman has split time with Ullmark over the last two seasons. For the 2023-24 campaign, Swayman was awarded a 1-year, $3.475 million contract via salary arbitration. The Alaskan-born goalie is once again a restricted free agent entering this offseason. Like last summer, Swayman is expecting a raise after a 25-10-8 record while stopping 92% of the shots he faced. The goalie last season asked for almost $5 million last offseason before the arbitrator met both parties in the middle with the overall decision.
Based on quotes from his first All-Star game earlier in the year, Boston would be wise to avoid arbitration with Swayman this summer. The process left a sour impression on the young goalie. “But yeah, after dealing with what I did this summer with arbitration, hearing things that a player should never hear, it feels pretty special to be in this situation (making the all-star game).”
Linus Ullmark Unrestricted Free Agent Next Summer
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If life were simple, Boston Bruins general manager Don Sweeney would be ecstatic with two stud goalies and far fewer cares than most NHL franchises. In the salary cap world, two stellar goaltenders require extensive money investment into one position when every dollar counts in the team-building process.
Veteran goalie Linus Ullmark is on a $5 million expiring deal which can be extremely valuable to an NHL team looking for a change at the top of the goaltending depth chart. If the Swedish backstop has his way, he will still be on the Boston Bruins roster when the 2024-25 season begins in October.
“That’s also one of the things that was new for me this year,” he said. “I’ve never been a part of any trade talks before, so that was a new experience. Was it hard? Yeah, it was hard, because you’re very comfortable where you are. You don’t want to move when you feel like you’re playing well and you have the team, you have the bonds in the teammates.
Ullmark’s contract features a no-trade clause that Sweeney will navigate if he decides to move on from the goalie in the 2024 offseason.
Roster Construction is a Very Delicate Puzzle
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Everyone who follows the NHL and the Boston Bruins can see the friendship these two athletes have for one another with the big, joyful embraces following T.D. Garden wins.
While there are many different ideas on constructing a championship-caliber team, one common thread that runs through those schools of thought is the people you bring into the building matter. It can sometimes get lost in the business of sports, but other times the people leaving the building matter just as much.
If the Boston Bruins elect to trade Linus Ullmark’s expiring 1-year contract to the highest bidder this offseason it could provide a big boost to the Boston Bruins’ offseason plans. However, breaking up the elite goalie pair may also have many ramifications that will be unknown for several months or even years in Beantown.
About The Author
Christopher Babos is a genuine sports & entertainment journalist with diverse credentials in writing, broadcasting, and digital media. He can be located on X for real-time takes (@CBabosWrites). With various roles in the sports industry over two decades, Chris can speak with authority on the topics he covers. Additional insightful sports articles are located here.
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