The Boston Bruins already traded one of the league’s better goaltenders, but is another trade on the horizon if they can’t work out a deal with Jeremy Swayman?
The Jeremy Swayman saga continues as the Boston Bruins now enter the middle of their preseason, and it could seemingly doom the team if they were ultimately forced to trade him. While Joonas Korpisalo would be a great stopgap should Swayman hold out in October and even into November, rolling with him as the featured netminder all season could hurt what should be one of the Eastern Conference’s premier teams.
But while some might say the Bruins would be doomed without Swayman, the reality is we don’t know if it would be such a bad idea. I’m not saying that moving another one of the NHL’s better goaltenders would be a good idea, but there’s a strong chance the Bruins would land a sensational return for Swayman if they traded him.
Trading someone like Swayman could lead to a blockbuster, especially if it’s to a team that is in dire need of a netminder. Suppose someone like the Colorado Avalanche, who never seemed to be completely comfortable with Alexandar Georgiev last season, calls Don Sweeney and works out a deal.
In this scenario, both teams would win out, should someone like the Avs give Swayman something similar to what he wants, while Boston gets someone who was a Vezina contender in 2022-23.
A potential Jeremy Swayman trade may benefit the Boston Bruins
A team like the Utah Hockey Club could also be a suitor, as they already have the cap space, plus a netminder in Connor Ingram, who played surprisingly well last year in what was the team’s swan song in Arizona.
No, Ingram’s numbers weren’t anywhere near Swayman’s, but the Bruins were way better than the Coyotes last year, and Ingram would make a solid 1A to Korpisalo being a 1B. Oh, and please note that I’m not saying they would make a goaltender for goaltender swap here - Boston would be getting a few assets in this one.
One dark horse contender would be the St. Louis Blues, a team that keeps looking to get younger. St. Louis has an excellent netminder in Jordan Binnington, but now that he’s 31, they could be looking to move him to a contender for a player with elite potential that is Jeremy Swayman.
A drawback here is that they have a fast-riser in Joel Hofer, and acquiring Swayman would mean a change of plans, as it seems like Hofer is penciled in as their long-term future goaltender. But, Swayman is also a more proven player, so the Blues, if general manager Doug Armstrong sees an opportunity, may end up calling Sweeney should the latter see no choice but to trade Swayman.
As you can see, if the Bruins are so backed into a corner that trading Swayman may be ultimately their only option, it doesn’t mean the deal wouldn’t work out in their favor. No, they wouldn’t have an immediate long-term answer at goaltender, but they can also make the best of this situation if Sweeney approached the situation right.
