Boston Bruins First Season Press Conference Key Takeaways and Details – Hockey Writers – Boston Bruins

The Boston Bruins kicked off their 2024-25 campaign with a Start-of-Season press conference on Monday, touching on a variety of topics as the team looks to assemble its final roster. From player contracts to goaltending strategies and the ongoing training camp evaluation process, members of the Bruins brass provided insight into the team’s direction. Let’s break down the big talking points, including comments from CEO Charlie Jacobs, team president Cam Neely, general manager Don Sweeney, and head coach Jim Montgomery.

Jeremy Swayman’s Contract Renewal

One of the main areas of focus at the press conference was the discussion regarding Jeremy Swayman’s contract extension. Swayman’s postseason player of the year cemented him as the No. 1 goalie. 1, prompting the Bruins to trade Linus Ullmark and give the 25-year-old in net. Unfortunately, more than a week before the Bruins open their season against the Florida Panthers on October 8, the team and Swayman were unable to agree on a new contract extension.

Amidst offseason speculation and rumors, many of the points in question have left fans frustrated, regardless of who is being blamed. As the Bruins finalize their roster, the constant media chatter seems to have worn thin on management, prompting Neely to make a specific statement about Swayman’s extension.

“I don’t want to get into the grass about what he’s asking, but I know I have 64 million reasons why I can’t play right now,” Neely said.

Although he did not say what this means, many pointed out that the Bruins gave Swayman’s camp an eight-year contract worth $64 million. Maximizing a player’s value and signing him to an eight-year max makes sense if the team views the player as a cornerstone piece, but it’s also possible the deal is a short deal with a high-year salary and cap hit. No one outside of the team and Swayman’s team knows for sure, but it’s still fair to say that the Bruins have made what they feel is a competitive offer for their goaltender.

Jacobs will say that he has been in constant communication with Neely and Sweeney about the situation and that the dialogue has not stopped.

Sweeney will also comment on his thoughts during the press conference, saying that the Bruins are a better team with Swayman as the team’s goaltender. He also noted that he will work hard to find a place to settle down. Regarding concerns about trading Ullmark and whether or not the team had regrets about the move, Sweeney remained confident in his offseason decision.

“Both goalkeepers asked to play 55 games and that is not possible when they are in the same team. “We felt comfortable with Swayman going forward,” Sweeney said. “We made a difficult decision because Ullmark was an outstanding Bruin.”

Joonas Korpisalo Will Start Opening Night

In an unexpected twist from the press conference, Montgomery revealed that newly acquired goaltender Joonas Korpisalo will be the Bruins’ starting goaltender in the opening night game due to uncertainty over Swaymans’ status.

“Right now he’s going to be our Game 1 starter,” Montgomery said of Korpisalo.

Related: Bruins: 1 Win, 1 Loss From Preseason So Far

It’s not entirely surprising as the team has said in the past that the goal is to sign Swayman in Dec. 1 deadline, but it’s still a little surprising to hear a team make a tangible statement without actually needing to tip their hand. Whether it is a negotiation strategy or just a plan and the group is transparent is not clear.

The good news for the Bruins is that Korpisalo has impressed in the crease, posting a .936 save percentage and a 1.91 goals-against average. He is expected to start early in the season with Brandon Bussi playing as his backup. Things can change quickly, however, and the crease will undoubtedly be returned to Swayman as soon as he signs his contract.

Training Camp Screening Process: The Cut Is Not The End

When the Bruins announced that Fabian Lysell and Georgii Merkulov would be among the latest wave of players cut from Boston Bruins training camp, many were concerned. The expectation was that one of the two players would earn a roster spot and start the season as the team’s second right winger. Unfortunately, a slow start put a damper on things before Lysell seemed to put together some excellent shifts. Still, it didn’t seem to matter.

In Monday’s press conference, however, Sweeney indicated that players like Lysell and Merkulov could return before the end of camp and that camp is not over. You can also see that the testing process is never ending.

Talking to Lysell directly, Sweeney will note that everyone can see the skillset and that he is happy about it. “He’s going to get another chance and I hope he takes it.”

Contract Extension Negotiations for Marchand, Geekie and Frederic

Although not much has been said about it, Sweeney confirmed that the team has held talks with captain Brad Marchand, Morgan Geekie and Trent Frederic about potential new contracts. All three players will be unrestricted free agents at the end of the season and there is mutual interest between all parties to keep this core together long-term.

Geekie and Frederic are both players who will start the season as the team’s second right winger, although it is likely that Frederic will continue to man the center of the third line and Geekie will be allowed early. There’s also the potential for a player like Tyler Johnson or Matt Poitras to head to that spot, or Lysell and Merkulov based on Sweeney’s aforementioned comments about endless camp.

Frederick, a first-round pick from the Bruins in 2016, is in the final year of a two-year, $4.6 million contract. He will see a nice increase in his $2.3 million cap hit next season. Geekie signed a two-year, $4 million contract with the Bruins last season and remains a valuable member of the team. Both 26-year-olds will receive a raise.

As for Marchand, the Bruins captain is coming off a team-friendly eight-year, $49 million deal. The veteran will be 37 at the start of his next contract, so it will be interesting to see what kind of deal they negotiate with the team to keep him around. While it will certainly be a short deal, the salary implications will be the interesting part.

While there isn’t much time between now and the start of the 2024-25 regular season, the Bruins still have time to expand their roster and make their final opening night decisions. What’s important to remember, however, is that no team ever has the same opening night and closing night lineup. Whether it’s trades, injuries, practices, call-ups or anything in between, personnel and systems are constantly changing in the NHL. The “final product” that arrives on opening night will never be the true final product, and the process of developing a team is never-ending.