Bruins' Swayman never wants to go through arbitration again

Jeremy Swayman was thrilled to re-up with the Boston Bruins this summer but hopes he never has to go through third-party contract negotiations again.

The 24-year-old netminder was awarded a one-year, $3.48-million contract in arbitration earlier in August, and it's safe to say he didn't love the process.

"The biggest thing was living day by day, understanding that what you hear might not be the truth at all times," Swayman said Tuesday, per The Athletic's Fluto Shinzawa.

"It's a business. I wanted to make sure that whatever was thrown my way, I was going to be able to attack it with a good mindset and making sure that at the end of the day, I was doing everything I could to be a Boston Bruin.

"There's no ill will on the process. Because I understand I'm not the first player to go through it and not the last. But I definitely don't wish it upon any of my friends or teammates moving forward. And I don't want to do it ever again as well."

Swayman became a restricted free agent this summer upon the expiration of a three-year, $3.15-million deal signed in 2020 - his first NHL contract.

He's eligible for arbitration as an RFA in 2024.

Swayman has made 88 appearances with the Bruins since debuting during the 2020-21 season, owning an impressive .920 save percentage overall. He qualified for the All-Rookie team in 2022 and was one of the league's top backup netminders this past season on the strength of a 24-6-4 record.

Despite Swayman's strong resume to date, he's behind Linus Ullmark on the Bruins' depth chart after the veteran won the Vezina Trophy and backstopped Boston to the best regular season in NHL history in 2023.

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