The Boston Bruins have been quiet recently, and training camp at Warrior Ice Arena won’t start for another month or so. GM Don Sweeney still has one task to complete, which is securing goalie Jeremy Swayman’s contract. The youthful goalie has just discussed the status of his contract, and thus far, everything has gone well, including this past weekend.
“Yes,” Swayman replied. “I think that going through things and gaining experience are the keys to everything.”
“I’m learning the same things this year that I did last year, only in different ways. We are aware that it is a business. Though it can be regrettable at times, I understand that in the end, I will be playing hockey. And I sincerely hope the Boston Bruins are involved.
Sports players and general managers alike are aware of how difficult it can be to negotiate contracts. But Swayman and the Bruins had a rocky summer together last year, and neither team wanted to repeat that. That’s probably why none of them ultimately submitted an arbitration request. The Bruins need to lock him up since they acquired the struggling Joonas Korpisalo in exchange for Linus Ullmark, who they sold to the Ottawa Senators. Brandon Bussi is the other goalkeeper on the team.
Even with the superior quality of the Bussi, Boston cannot start the season with a Korpisalo/Bussi lineup. That would mean that the Black and Gold’s once extremely powerful position would have become much weaker, which would not be desirable.
For John Beecher, the years 2023–24 were successful.
Two young players who made the Opening Night roster the previous season, John Beecher and Matthew Poitras, ended up making significant contributions. After undergoing shoulder surgery in February, Poitras’ season came to an end, but Beecher participated in 52 games over the regular season and postseason. In the Black and Gold’s opening-round series against the Toronto Maple Leafs, he even scored the game’s opening goal.
“When taken into consideration holistically, I believe it was a fairly successful endeavor,” stated Beecher. “I believe that coming into the season, not many people truly anticipated that I would be on the opening night roster and have an impact. That was something I could do, and that gave me a lot of confidence. There were undoubtedly some highs and lows.
The former University of Michigan standout finished with seven goals and ten assists combined in the regular season and playoffs. Yes, there were ups and downs, but you could tell that he was improving, and on certain occasions, he was perhaps their best face-off option.
In the exchange for Ullmark with the Senators, Boston acquired Mark Kastelic and Korpisalo. Kastelic, along with Max Jones, who was signed as a free agent from the Anaheim Ducks, will challenge Beecher for a spot on the bottom six this season. Although Beecher is more effective at center than on the wings, Jim Montgomery needs to use Beecher’s speed, ability to kill penalties, and face-off dot skills in his lineup in 2024–25. With any luck, Beecher will be more reliable in the new season.
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