What comes next in the Jeremy Swayman vs. Bruins dumpster fire? It all depends on his interpretation

BOSTON Publicly, things between Jeremy Swayman and the Boston Bruins are melting down.

President Cam Neely issued his $64 million smackdown on Monday.

Later on Monday, Lewis Gross, Swaymans agent, termed Neelys disclosure a concoction and called for a few days of reflection.

How Swayman reacts during this cooldown period will determine whether Gross and general manager Don Sweeney can fix a cracking bridge.

Advertisement When it comes to his personality, Swayman is many things.

He is confident, competitive, temperamental, eager to improve.

These qualities put him in Andrei Vasilevskiy s category of being an elite NHL goalie .

But Swayman is also another thing: sensitive.

Swaymans skin is thin enough to interpret a goalie dads question as a critique of his rebound control.

That is nothing compared to how personally Swayman took his employers arguments in his 2023 arbitration hearing.

Swaymans quest to prove the Bruins wrong is a big part of why hes standing his ground on his demand whatever sum that may be.

He is not one to back off his principles.

But if Swaymans response to his hearing indicates how he feels about Neely, Sweeney, CEO Charlie Jacobs and coach Jim Montgomery raising the heat , it may not be a good sign for a neat outcome.

The Bruins bosses had business in mind during their Monday press conference at TD Garden.

Both Jacobs and Sweeney said they had no problems with players pursuing fat paychecks.

It was business, in the same way, when the Bruins squared off against Swayman in a Toronto hotel last summer during their hearing.

The employers mandate, after all, is to pay the player the least amount possible.

As such, they will issue declarations the player will not enjoy hearing.

Swayman knew all of this.

He filed for arbitration when organic negotiations produced nothing.

Gross, like any proper agent, would have warned Swayman that hearings get uncomfortable.

Yet Swayman was rattled when he heard his employers arguments.

He kept them in mind as he went on his postseason tear against the Toronto Maple Leafs and Florida Panthers .

They are still occupying his thinking.

This is who he is the underdog Alaskan who has fueled himself with every slight.

Its critical, then, how Swayman views the state of play.

If he is able to view the disrepair as the product of business, he can proceed toward an agreement.

Hes told his bosses its what he wants.

Advertisement I strongly believe that Jeremy wants to play here, Neely said.

Ive asked him flat out: Do you want to play here? He does.

I believe theyll get a deal done.

Its unfortunate its not done today.

If Swayman takes his bosses latest actions personally, then hell have to wait much longer for a resolution.

This is in his court.

If Swayman is angry and stays that way, there is little chance he will lower his ask.

Both sides will then proceed into the regular season without an agreement.

Being without their ace hurts the Bruins.

Being without a job and income hurts Swayman more.

If he does not see a Black-and-Gold conclusion, Swayman may request a trade.

That does not mean it will happen.

The Bruins would set the bar high.

Not only that, an acquiring team would have to meet Swaymans price, which he would be unlikely to decrease.

Giving Swayman an eight-year, $76 million deal, for example, would smash the leagues current market for restricted free agent goalies.

Whether any team would be willing to take that step is unknown.

The Bruins, meanwhile, have other issues besides Swaymans contract to deal with in camp.

Elias Lindholm and Brad Marchand will make their preseason debuts on Tuesday against the Philadelphia Flyers .

Montgomery is still determining how his defensive pairs will settle.

Sweeney has to decide whether Tyler Johnson will proceed from a professional tryout agreement to a contract.

I get so immersed in the day-to-day, Montgomery said.

As a coach, youre always worried about, How good are we today? Are we getting better? Its a 24-hour window youre looking into all the time.

Montgomery said he has not spoken with his leadership group about Swaymans contract.

The players are monitoring the situation.

For now, they are in Swaymans corner.

That might shift if the team starts poorly and they feel Swayman could help.

Advertisement Theres not a whole lot of talk about it, Marchand said.

We all understand the situation the team and Sway are in.

This is part of the game.

Its part of the business.

Its a part that nobody enjoys.

Eventually a deals going to get done, and everyones going to move on and be fine.

That will be up to Swayman.

(Photo: Rich Gagnon / Getty Images).

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