Funny how quickly a situation can change.

When Linus Ullmark was traded from the Boston Bruins to the Ottawa Senators in late June, it was with the expectation that Boston was ready to hand the full-time starting netminder role to Jeremy Swayman. Fast forward to three months later, and Swayman is still without a contract to play.

Of course, questions were bound to circulate over Swayman’s future in Boston the longer the impasse between player and team went on. However, an ill-timed quip from team president Cam Neely during a press conference suggesting Swayman had a $64 million contract offer on the table may have changed the entire equation. Now, the question has evolved from whether Swayman will get his contract to whether he will suit up for the Bruins ever again.

The situation has become far more delicate now, and another high-profile mishandling of personnel (Bruce Cassidy’s firing, the signing of Mitch Miller, etc.) could lead to Neely and GM Don Sweeney’s dismissals if the season doesn’t go as expected. Where the problem is significant for the Bruins is that their leverage is all but gone; the front office showed their cards when they traded Ullmark before locking Swayman down to a deal, and they have only themselves to blame that he and his camp caught on. Going from arguably the best goalie tandem in the NHL in Swayman and Ullmark to trying to convince Bruins fans on a Joonas Korpisalo career renaissance is not expected to go well at all.

If the Bruins were to put Swayman on the trade market, however, things will get interesting in a hurry. Young, potentially elite goaltenders don’t just grow on trees, so when one hits the market, any team desiring an upgrade will take notice. While Swayman has yet to play more than 44 games in a season (a blessing and curse of the goalie rotation with Ullmark), his sample size of strong play is large enough to indicate that his performance is legitimate. Combine that with his best playoff run to date, and it becomes much easier to see how teams will rush to the phones the second a trade looks likely.

So which teams have the best shot at landing the former William Jennings Trophy winner? Let’s find out.

Framework

First, it is important to establish a clear framework for this trade in order to point out what the Bruins will likely want in return for Swayman.

Obviously, an NHL goaltender will have to come to Boston. No disrespect to new waiver pickup Jiri Patera or Providence Bruins goaltender Brandon Bussi, but I don’t think the Bruins feel particularly comfortable having to rely on them for too long. Whether the new addition will be the outright starter or firmly in a rotation with Korpisalo is irrelevant in terms of getting a deal done.

To go along with the goaltender, the Bruins will likely seek an NHL-caliber forward to go along in the deal. Boston has had some concerns over center depth since Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci’s retirements, and moving on from Swayman does mean that the Bruins will have more cap space to work with.

With an eye towards the future, the Bruins will also likely seek a goaltender prospect and a first-round pick. The prospect will ensure that the Bruins have a long-term plan in net to build around, and the first-rounder will boost a farm system that has been depleted in recent years.

Any extra pieces a team might wish to add to make their offer more enticing, as well as any adjustments to value they’d like to make, is at their discretion.

With that in mind, let’s meet the potential suitors.

Chicago Blackhawks

The Blackhawks are still deep in the throes of their current rebuild, but the core they are building has Stanley Cup potential. They have drafted Connor Bedard and Artyom Levshunov in back-to-back years, young talent like Kevin Korchinski and Alex Vlasic are emerging as key contributors, and the Blackhawks have as deep a prospect pool as any team in the NHL.

The only thing missing for them is the goaltender of the future, and Swayman can provide exactly that.

With Swayman turning 26 in November, he’s still young enough to fit in the Blackhawks’ long-term plans. Securing a maximum eight-year deal would mean the Blackhawks have stability in net, allowing them to attack other positions and continue to add talent around Bedard.

The trade: Swayman for Laurent Brossoit, Ryan Donato, Adam Gajan, 2025 1st Round Pick (top 10-protected), Dallas’s 2025 2nd Round Pick

While Brossoit was one of the mid-tier free agent signings by Chicago this offseason, his contract is easier to move than Petr Mrazek’s, so he would be the goaltender headed to Boston. The Bruins won’t mind, as Brossoit has put together back-to-back years of strong play in a backup role for Vegas and Winnipeg. Also going to Boston would be Donato, a Harvard product who started his career with the Bruins during the 2017-18 season. With double-digit goals in four of his last five seasons, Donato should be able to chip in offensively in a depth role.

While neither Gajan or Drew Commesso are high-end prospects, Gajan has more developmental runway and the draft pedigree to justify his addition. Gajan had a rough post-draft year, but he will be hoping to rebound at the University of Minnesota-Duluth this season. Dangling a first-round pick could be risky, but adding the top-ten protection means the pick would kick over to 2026 if the Blackhawks fall in that range, as they are expected to. Dallas’s second-round pick, which the Blackhawks got in a deadline deal in exchange for Max Domi, would be added to ensure the Bruins get a pick for this upcoming draft.

The deal might not stand out at first glance, but a first-round pick from Chicago would be enticing, especially if the team is still a few years away from competing. Should the Blackhawks continue to struggle, that pick could ultimately end up being quite valuable for the Bruins in the event of a retool. For that reason (and the potential of Gajan hitting his stride), the Bruins will have to consider this deal.

Colorado Avalanche

Unlike the Blackhawks, the Avalanche are in search of a goaltender who can help them right now.

There’s no denying that the Avalanche have a core capable of taking them to the Stanley Cup, led by Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar, and Mikko Rantanen. That said, where the Avalanche fall well behind their Central Division contemporaries is in net. Where as Dallas, Nashville, and Winnipeg can rely on Jake Oettinger, Juuse Saros, and Connor Hellebuyck, respectively, Colorado has Alexandar Georgiev, who posted a sub-.900 save percentage last season and is forced to put in a heavy workload due to lack of depth.

Sure, the Avalanche could hope that Justus Annunen continues his emergence and ascends to the starting role, but the team is not in the position where they can afford to be patient. With Rantanen’s contract expiring after this season and the team facing a possible cap crunch, any move that can help them improve on top of alleviating those concerns would be welcome.

The trade: Swayman for Alexandar Georgiev, Ross Colton, Ilya Nabokov, 2026 1st Round Pick

There’s a bit more NHL talent involved in this deal, largely in order for Colorado to make the financial numbers work. Georgiev would be the obvious choice to head to Boston and, while he didn’t have the best of seasons last year, he’s as good of a goalie as Boston can expect to get from this deal. Colton has been a potential option to move in the event of Gabriel Landeskog and Valeri Nichushkin returning to the lineup, and Boston would be alright to land a middle-six forward with center versatility. Miles Wood also came to mind for the NHL forward, but Colton’s versatility is more appealing to Boston, while the extra cap space with Colton moving will be more beneficial to Colorado.

Colorado fans might give me the stink-eye for putting this year’s second round pick Nabokov in this deal, but what path to the NHL would he realistically have behind a Swayman-Annunen tandem? Nabokov has continued to perform at a high level in the KHL this season, and his expiring contract means he would be eligible to sign in the NHL for next season. With Georgiev on an expiring contract and Korpisalo being far from a guarantee to produce, expect Nabokov to be a target for Boston in any Swayman trade. With Colorado likely hoping to keep the one second round pick it has for 2025, they will likely choose to offer their 2026 first round pick to keep their package as enticing as possible.

Sure, there’s some hurdles to clear when it comes to this deal. Colorado would be having to overpay just a bit in terms of assets, and they will need to ensure that their cap situation won’t be further exacerbated by this move. That said, if Swayman can provide the key saves that have been missing in Colorado the past two years, it will all be worth it. Vegas and Florida made bold trades that got them Stanley Cups in the end, and it might be time for Joe Sakic and Chris McFarland to do the same.

Detroit Red Wings

In a vacuum, moving Swayman to Detroit would make zero sense for Boston. Moving Ullmark in-division made at least a little sense, but why send a possible franchise goaltender to a potential rival?

The answer is surprisingly simple: Steve Yzerman might be under just as much pressure as Sweeney right now.

There’s no denying Yzerman is a Detroit sports legend, but he will be in his fifth season as general manager this season, and the Red Wings haves to make the playoffs during his tenure. He’s been given plenty of leeway to get the ball rolling, but at what point does the patience in the Yzerplan wear thin? With the team coming close to the postseason last year, the clamps have to be put on to ensure the Red Wings take the next step.

The issue there is the Red Wings don’t have a true starting goaltender. They signed Cam Talbot and Jack Campbell for organizational depth to go with Ville Husso and Alex Lyon, but none of those options inspire much confidence. Swayman would put an immediate end to the speculation in net, making him a desirable trade option. It might take a lot to convince Boston to pull it off, but Detroit may have an answer…

The trade: Swayman for Cam Talbot, Andrew Copp, Dmitri Buchelnikov, Sebastian Cossa, 2025 1st Round Pick, 2026 2nd Round Pick

While moving Ville Husso’s expiring deal and Justin Holl’s contract were considered, this package made more sense. Talbot performed better than expected in Los Angeles last season, and is contract is certainly affordable for the Bruins to manage. Copp’s deal (three years at $5.625 million AAV) is a hard one to swallow, but J.T. Compher’s arrival makes him obsolete in Detroit and Boston’s forward group could give him an extended role that allows him a greater chance to live up to that contract. Plus, taking that deal on would make it easier to justify Detroit handing over what they are.

The real prize here would be Cossa, a former first-round pick and elite goaltending prospect who would instantly give Boston a long-term solution in net. With Cossa hitting his stride in his second professional season last year, there’s no question he would be the top target for Boston in a deal. Buchelnikov also gets added due to the unlikelihood that he signs in Detroit, but a core in Boston that’s somewhat lacking in pure offensive talent could convince him to change his stance. The picks added are spaced out to ensure Detroit does not sacrifice a full year of its future on this deal.

This deal is obviously the biggest of all six due to it being in-division, but would either side truly be comfortable saying no here? Detroit gets the goaltender they need to truly threaten the hierarchy of the Atlantic Division. Meanwhile, Boston gets a couple of decent assets now to pair with great ones for the future. If Sweeney and Yzerman are ultimately as desperate for solutions as I think they are, this deal would be much more agreeable on both ends.

Utah Hockey Club

The NHL’s “newest” franchise is certainly doing its part to make waves this offseason.

With a core beginning to emerge and ownership now stabilized, the artists formerly known as the Arizona Coyotes have made a fair share of moves already. The additions of Mikhail Sergachev and John Marino should bolster the defense, and young forwards are emerging on a consistent basis. It may seem somewhat odd to say, but the possibility of Utah experiencing playoff hockey in its first season is not that far-fetched.

Adding Swayman would go a long way towards fulfilling that goal, as Utah still has plenty of prospects and draft capital to use as trade chips. They’re also the only team on this list that doesn’t have to shed salary to give Swayman a long-term extension, so being able to exercise free reign over who can be sent the other way is a boost.

The trade: Swayman for Connor Ingram, Alexander Kerfoot, Carsen Musser, 2025 1st Round Pick, Ottawa’s 2026 2nd Round Pick

The key for this deal would be financial flexibility. Ingram was relatively solid last season, and his contract at just less than $2 million for this and next season would help Boston attack other parts of their roster. Kerfoot would be on an expiring deal, but he provides versatility and leadership that is sorely needed in Boston’s bottom-six forward group.

Musser does not possess the same name value as the other prospects on this list, but it doesn’t make him any less interesting of a prospect. He’s quite athletic for a six-foot-four goaltender, he performed well with Madison in the USHL last season, and he will be allowed to develop at Colorado College for the next few years. The first will be valuable, especially if Utah continues to struggle, and a second round pick acquired from the Jakob Chychrun trade will sweeten the deal a bit.

Similar to Chicago, this deal feels better than the sum of its parts. Ingram and Kerfoot may not be spectacular, but they fill spots that Boston needs in the wake of a Swayman deal. Musser is an interesting enough prospect to monitor, and the picks could bring in some high-end talent that Boston could use to replenish the farm system. Boston could see if Utah’s willing to give them Karel Vejmelka and Lawson Crouse instead of Ingram and Kerfoot, but this would be a good package for the Bruins to take.

Philadelphia Flyers

When your coach openly says that the goaltending situation scares him, they have to be included here.

No team may have had worse luck in terms of goaltending than the Flyers have recently. Carter Hart never seemed to regain his confidence, and his NHL career has likely ended in disgrace due to the Team Canada World Juniors sexual assault scandal. Then there was Ivan Fedotov being called away from the Flyers back to Russia. Then Alexei Kolosov was a threat to defect back to Russia instead of reporting to the team. Needless to say, Philadelphia is far from set in terms of their netminders.

Still, there is at least some reason to be optimistic. Matvei Michkov is making his NHL debut a year earlier than anticipated, and some are calling him the early favorite to win the Calder Trophy. He headlines a group of young, exciting talent that can certainly climb up the ranks quickly with proper development. Similar to Chicago, Swayman fits the timeline in Philadelphia, and they don’t have any pressing cap questions at the moment. It could be a good fit, assuming Boston wants to deal Swayman in the East.

The trade: Swayman for Ivan Fedotov, Morgan Frost, Carson Bjarnason, Edmonton’s 2025 1st Round Pick, 2025 2nd Round Pick

Fedotov was locked down to a two-year extension worth $3.275 million AAV, but he would still be the likely choice to ship to Boston. Samuel Ersson and Kolosov are both under team control for longer, and Swayman’s contract would likely make a tandem with Fedotov too costly. Boston won’t mind, though, as Fedotov was one of the top goaltenders in the KHL prior to coming to America, so the hope would be that he finds his rhythm quickly. While Frost has played well for stretches, he’s never really seemed to gain the full trust of John Tortorella. He would be an excellent fit for Boston’s middle-six group, sporting good playmaking instincts to pair with an underrated physical game.

Bjarnason would go to Boston to fulfill the goaltending prospect requirement. A second round pick last year (similar to Gajan from Chicago), Bjarnason did actually show improvement last season, so he might be more palatable at this moment. Philadelphia also boasts six picks in the first two rounds of the 2025 draft, so they have no problem using that stockpile to bring Swayman over.

This deal is more based on possibility than anything concrete. Will Fedotov regain his KHL form and turn into a franchise goaltender? Can Frost find his footing on a new team? Wil Bjarnason or the draft picks lead to a franchise talent? If the answer is yes to any of these questions, Boston should have no concerns with this deal. That said, I will concede this is the least likely of the five to occur, if only due to Boston maybe not wanting to deal Swayman in-conference and Philadelphia maybe lacking the available assets of Detroit and others.