The drama surrounding Boston Bruins goaltender Jeremy Swayman has led to speculation he's on the way out, and here are three teams who could take advantage.
With news coming out of Boston that Jeremy Swayman was offered a $64M contract, Bruins fans were excited however a short while later it seems to have become a disaster as Swayman and his agent refuted the claim they were offered that amount and say they are going to weigh their options in the coming days.
So with Swayman possibly on the way out, there are several teams who could take advantage of the situation, and HockeyPatrol takes a look at three who could benefit from Swayman in their crease.
Vancouver Canucks can use a healthy goalie to support Thatcher Demko
With so many question marks surrounding the status of Thatcher Demko and his apparent career-lingering injury, the Canucks are in a tough spot. Besides Demko they are fairly weak with Arturs Silovs and Kevin Lankinen in tow. It will be a bit tough with Vancouver's current cap situation however they could afford to get rid of Kiefer Sherwood, Teddy Blueger or even Tyler Myers should he waive his no-trade clause to get a chance to win. However, GM Patrik Allvin has stated that he doesn't want to just be a contender but a serious one at that. The Canucks could go all in and with a roster full of stars like Elias Pettersson, Brock Boeser, Jake DeBrusk, Quinn Hughes and Filip Hronek; it would be in Allvin's best interest to go all out and make sure his goaltending is up to snuff. The Pacific Division is fairly weak minus Edmonton, Vegas and potentially Seattle; Vancouver adding Swayman would help them leap into a comfortable spot in the playoffs, and we all know how good Swayman is come playoff time.
San Jose Sharks can add Jeremy Swayman to mentor Yaroslav Askarov
San Jose added one future elite goaltender, why not add a second? Getting Yaroslav Askarov from the Nashville Predators felt like a big coup from GM Mike Grier, who has quietly built a rebuilding roster that is oozing with potential. Having suffered through some brutal years, they now feature the likes of Klim Kostin, Fabian Zetterlund, Will Smith, William Eklund, and 2024 1st overall pick Macklin Celebrini. That's just the forwards, they added Cody Ceci from Edmonton and have a solid, albeit older, defensive squad. They also have Mackenzie Blackwood in tow, and while the former top goaltending prospect has had some spots of brilliance, he's struggled in recent years and may not be the most reliable. Having Swayman/Askarov as a 1A/1B tandem where they both split the games evenly; that sounds like a dangerous combination for a team hungry to show they belong. They won't fight for a playoff spot, and it may be a tough couple of years if Jeremy Swayman went to California, however the future would be as bright as the sun if he stuck it out.
Chicago Blackhawks are the ideal landing spot for Jeremy Swayman
Now what about being on a team with 2023 1st overall pick and reigning Calder Trophy winner Connor Bedard? The Blackhawks goaltending of Petr Mrazek, Laurent Broissoit and Arvid Soderblom don't jump out on paper, and while they are definitely serviceable as backup goaltenders, none of them really have the ilk of being a true #1 goaltender. Broissoit is still recovering from an injury and Mrazek is 32 years old, not a death sentence but he's not getting any younger and has dealt with several injuries in his career. Swayman would instantly boost a Blackhawks team who is in the midst of finding their identity again after dominating in the 2010's. They have the talent in Bedard, Taylor Hall, Philip Kurashev, Tyler Bertuzzi, Seth Jones and rookie Kevin Korchinski; all they need is a true goaltender to patrol the pipes and keep them in close games. Chicago is on the cusp of breaking out, and with how tough the Central Division is with Colorado, Dallas, Nashville, Minnesota, and even younger teams like Utah nipping at their heels, Chicago needs to go all in and make sure they get their goaltender of the future now.
So with all that being said, where does Jeremy Swayman go? Clearly the netminder wants out of Boston if the team keeps giving him the run around, and going to the media to openly criticize and complain about him. There are 31 other teams in the NHL who could use Swayman's services; there's no denying how talented and impactful the young goaltender is. These three teams however could rise the ranks much faster than anticipated if they add an elite, if disgruntled goaltender.
