Bruins Fail to Sign Jeremy Swayman, Rely on Joonas Korpisalo

The Boston Bruins are expected to enter training camp without their star goaltender, Jeremy Swayman. According to the Boston Globe , contract extension negotiations between the franchise and the restricted free agent have stalled.

This development has left the Bruins with newly acquired netminder Joonas Korpisalo, formerly of the Ottawa Senators, as the team’s no. 1 option and starter between the pipes.

According to Bruins insider Fluto Shinzawa of The Athletic, Swayman may miss camp and the preseason due to the ongoing deadlock in his contract talks with the team.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if this goes into camp and he’s not signed, Shinzawa said on Sept. 14 in "Bruins Rinkside" show . "I think we’ve come to know Jeremy as someone who is very sure of himself, very confident, very secure in what he’s done and what he can be."

Although conflicting reports have emerged during the past few days regarding what Swayman is asking for and what the Bruins are offering, everything points toward a large gap between both sides still being there.

Swayman has an impressive career record of 79-33-15 with a 2.34 goals-against average and a .919 save percentage. However, he has yet to prove himself as a full-time starter, which is the main reason for Boston's hesitation about signing him to a long-term deal.

Rumors suggest Swayman is seeking a contract with a higher average annual value than Juuse Saros’ recent eight-year, $61.92 million contract ($7.74 million AAV), potentially reaching more than $10 million. The Bruins are rumored to have "lowballed" him with an offer of around $6.2 million per season, according to Spittin' Chiclet's Ryan Whitney.

While Swayman holds out, Korpisalo, who was acquired in the Linus Ullmark trade to the Senators as insurance, will take over the No. 1 goalie role for the Bruins as training camp begins.

Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman speculated on the Sept. 13 episode of the "32 Thoughts" podcast that Boston may regret the way it has handled Swayman’s contract negotiations, particularly its arbitration decisions, which might have created lasting tension between the player and the team.

If the Bruins and Swayman don’t come to terms soon, the team could face more serious goaltending concerns: the goalie must sign his contract by Dec. 1. Otherwise, he will be ineligible to play during the 2024-25 season.

Related: Report: Bruins & Jeremy Swayman 'Splitting Hairs' in Negotiations