The Boston Bruins, after securing Jeremy Swayman with a substantial eight-year, $66 million contract, had to make some roster adjustments to comply with the salary cap as they prepare for their season opener against the Florida Panthers.
On Sunday, GM Don Sweeney placed five players on waivers, including forwards Patrick Brown and Jeffrey Viel, defenseman Billy Sweezey, and goalies Brandon Bussi and Jiri Patera, to clear cap space.
Additionally, nine players were reassigned to the Providence Bruins, their AHL affiliate, including Ryan Bischel, Michael Callahan, Riley Duran, Jackson Edward, and Fabian Lysell.
These transactions freed up nearly $2 million in cap space, with the Bruins finalizing their 26-man roster. PuckPedia reported that as of Monday, the Bruins had 21 of 23 players under contract with $1.9 million in cap space.
Swayman’s new deal, which carries a cap hit of $8.25 million, placed him among the highest-paid goaltenders in the league, just behind the likes of Carey Price, Sergei Bobrovsky, and Andrei Vasilevskiy.
Brandon Bussi, initially expected to back up Swayman, saw his role shift with the team’s decisions, as Joonas Korpisalo will now fill that spot. Though the waived and reassigned players didn’t make the final roster, they’ll have opportunities in Providence to push for a call-up when needed due to injuries.
