Boston Bruins president Cam Neely had an interesting quote regarding star goaltender Jeremy Swayman. It was about his next contract, which would net him a sizable deal in the NHL.
"I don't want to get into the weeds with what his ask is. But I know that I have 64 million reasons why I'd be playing right now."Cam Neely
There was a counter statement from Swayman's agent, stating there was never such an offer on the table. As a result, the netminder is considering his options, which include being traded to a different team. Potential suitors range from the Detroit Red Wings to the New Jersey Devils. But what about the Vegas Golden Knights?
Kelly McCrimmon has a good reason to go after the netminder for a deal. Last season, Swayman had a GAA of 2.53 (eighth-best in the NHL), a save percentage of .916 (tied for fifth), and three shutouts. He was also rock-solid in the Stanley Cup playoffs last season, posting a GAA of 2.15 and a save percentage of .933. These numbers could give the Golden Knights the best goaltending tandem in the league, with Swayman and Adin Hill greeting each other with goalie hugs.
Therefore, Vegas could benefit greatly from acquiring the star netminder. Numerous pluses lie within acquiring one of the biggest stars at his position, where he'll launch the team to Stanley Cup contender status. There are also reasons why a deal won't happen with the Golden Knights and Bruins. Let's look into the pros and cons of a potential Swayman deal.
The pros of the Vegas Golden Knights acquiring Jeremy Swayman from the Boston Bruins
As mentioned, the Vegas Golden Knights would have arguably the best goaltending tandem in the NHL with Jeremy Swayman and Adin Hill. Hill himself wasn't too bad with the Golden Knights last season, posting a GAA of 2.71 and a save percentage of .909. While these numbers won't jump at people regarding a starting goaltender position, they fit the No. 2 position well.
There's also Bruce Cassidy's familiarity with Swayman, where the head coach had high praise. The familiarity with Cassidy's air-tight forechecking system and taking away shooting lanes will benefit the netminder, especially with Cassidy and the native of Anchorage, Alaska, having history from their Boston Bruins days.
As for Swayman, the Bruins goaltender isn't a one-hit wonder. He has a career GAA of 2.34 and a save percentage of .919, posting 12 shutouts. He's proven to be a valuable netminder in Boston, handling everything that's headed his way. That includes being Linus Ullmark's backup and taking on starting duties. McCrimmon would benefit greatly from adding the young star to the Golden Knights.
Why a Swayman deal with the Bruins won't happen for the Golden Knights
The Boston Bruins have plenty of cap space to work with, totaling $7,861,667 in available space. Compare that to the Vegas Golden Knights, who are in the negatives regarding this category (-$3,639,983 in cap space). Trading for the NHL All-Star sounds nice in theory, especially if Kelly McCrimmon finds a third team to retain salary. However, it'll take salary cap gymnastics to pull off the move, making it impossible.
Yes, they could offer up Shea Theodore and Brayden McNabb, given that the Golden Knights have a defenseman surplus. After all, Vegas could make room by bumping up Kaedan Korczak and Ben Hutton to the top six defenseman group. However, acquiring Swayman would require much more than the two, especially with the Bruins exploring their options.
Other NHL teams have the prospect capital to offer the Bruins in a potential deal that Vegas doesn't, leaving the Golden Knights at a disadvantage. The Detroit Red Wings could offer a better deal with defenseman Simon Edvinsson, center Marco Kasper, and goaltender Sebastian Cossa (to name a few). It's the same with the Carolina Hurricanes and their prospects, including Alexander Nikishin and Scott Morrow. As for Vegas? They have Brendan Brisson and Trevor Connelly, which isn't appealing.
Trade discourse is among us, meaning the rumors will fly. Whether the Boston Bruins trade Jeremy Swayman or not remains to be seen. However, one thing's certain. Teams like the Vegas Golden Knights will be interested in adding an All-Star goaltender to the mix. It's just a matter of if Vegas can compete with other teams loaded with prospects. If so, there will be plenty of hugs in Las Vegas.