NHL Rumors: Jeremy Swayman Isn’t Going Anywhere, and Why Was December 1st Brought Up

Sportsnet: Elliotte Friedman and Kyle Bukauskas on the 32 Thoughts: The Podcast – A Bevy of Extensions as Training Camps Begin episode. There’s still a gap between the Boston Bruins and Jeremy Swayman on an eight-year deal. Friedman doesn’t think the Bruins would consider trading Swayman, and what Sweeney mentioning December 1st may mean.

** NHLRumors.com transcription

Friedman: “Swayman, again, it was a crazy day, the other day. And I’m not ripping any other reporters. I’ve been right, I’ve been wrong, and I will be right and I will be wrong again. So I don’t like to kick other people when they’re down, because I know what it’s like to be wrong.

I just don’t think, I just think that there’s still, I think there’s still a gap on an eight-year term. It can always change with one phone call, but there’s still a gap on an eight-year term.

Now, the one thing I do want to say about Swayman is this, I had some people asking me, do you think the Bruins will, will pivot and consider trading Swayman? Just give up and go. I haven’t spoken to Don Sweeney. He’s trying to keep a low profile, aside from making it clear that he’s not always happy with all of the reporting here.

But my impressions are that the, the Red Sox. Can you believe I just called them the Red Sox? My impressions are that the Bruins do not want to trade Swayman. Like they had Swayman-Ullmark. They felt they had to make one move. I don’t believe they want to make two.

Like I really do believe when they say that when, when Sweeney came out the other day and said, ‘We want to sign Swayman.’ I believe that. I believe there is their goal, and trading him is not what they are considering or want to do.”

Bukauska: “Yeah, that would be …”

Friedman: “Which, of course, means two minutes after this podcast drops, there’s going to be a blockbuster. The sense I get on Thursday, they don’t want to do it.

Bukauskas: “That would be all kinds of goofy. What about when Sweeney mentioned the December 1st deadline, So soon. What did you think of that?”

Friedman: “I initially was like, uh-oh. My first reaction was, fire marshal Jim. Uh oh.”

Bukauska: “Fire Marshal Bill.”

Friedman: “Fire Marshal Bill. Red Sox – Bruins. Fire Marshal Jim. Fire Marshal Bill.”

Bukauskas: “Jim Carrey, so you’re forgiven there.”

Friedman: “I am like, I am way off at the start of this year. I am struggling at the start of this podcast.

I, when I first heard that, I thought what that was, was, you know, just an acknowledgment that Lewis Gross, who represents Swayman, also represents William Nylander. And he did this a few years ago, December 1st, and they got him signed, like minutes before the deadline.

I don’t believe, after thinking about it and asking around, that that was what Sweeney was doing, in this particular case. What I think he was doing was saying, if I mentioned, and I know this, there are people who talk about this, so I think it’s true.

The moment you mention a deadline like the start of the season, it hangs over everything. The fans point at it. The media points at it. The agent points at it. Everyone points at it.

So I think what Sweeney was doing, and he’s a pretty smart guy, is he was sitting back there and saying, I’m going to mention December 1st so that there’s no other date or deadline that anyone can use as a leverage or pressure point against us. That’s what I think that was.”