NHL Rumors: Columbus Blue Jackets, and the Boston Bruins

Teams wanting to use the Columbus Blue Jackets cap space

Brian Hedger of The Columbus Dispatch: The Columbus Blue Jackets didn’t have to retain any salary – $8.7 million cap hit and $9.1 million in salary for two years – when they moved Patrik Laine to the Montreal Canadiens. The Blue Jackets now have around $18.2 million in project salary cap space.

GM Don Waddell said the flexibility was important: “We were able to acquire a good young player in Jordan Harris while maintaining financial flexibility in this deal, which was very important to us.”

Other teams Waddell was talking to wanted the Blue Jackets to retain half of Laine’s salary. Their goal was to not retain any money.

Waddell has since received calls from other teams who are looking to salary to the Blue Jackets to alleviate some of their own cap issues.

Who could be a surprise in the Pacific and who is going to be the best in the Division?

Jeremy Swayman looking $10 million a season?

Jones & Keefe: Rech Keefe on the Jones & Keefe WEEI radio show that Boston Bruins RFA goaltender Jeremy Swayman is looking for $10 million a season.

** NHLRumors.com transcription

Keefe: “Jeremy Swayman, as we know, has not signed a contract with the Boston Bruins. Camp starts for them very shortly. You’re saying, ‘what is going on there?’

Went to arbitration with the team a year ago. Was not happy with that. Very publicly, was not happy with that.

And ‘Scoops Keefe’ here to report or scoop, no really a report, we kind of scoop, right? Jeremy Swayman, looking for $10 million a year.”

Adam Jones: “I’m sorry?”

Keefe: “That is the scoop that I have. He is looking for $10 million a year. That would put him with Sergei Bobrovsky and Carey Price. Price signed that monster contract a few years back. He’s still getting $10.5 million average annual. Bobrovsky is at 10 (million). Everybody else less than that. (Andrei) Vasilevsky nine and a half. (Connor) Hellebyck is eight and a half. (Ilya) Sorokin is 8.25.

So I think a lot of speculation was, if he gets to eight, that makes him the sixth highest-paid goalie. But from what I am led to believe, he would like $10 million.”

• Colby Cohen: “The Swayman reports are incorrect. The sides are taking their time to arrive at a deal but people freaking out because they think he asked for 10M should rest easy…. because that’s not the ask.”

Trade Analysis: Jets Trade McGroarty For Penguins Yager

Jones: “Which again put him third.”

Keefe: “That would put him tied for second.”

Jones: “I’m sorry, died for a second.”