The Boston Bruins continue to let Jeremy Swayman dangle on the market without extending him to a long-term contract extension. Other teams could send Swayman an offer sheet to see if he would sign with them, and the Canadiens are a team in a position to do it. Much of the Canadiens' rebuild hinges on the continued play of Samuel Montembeault and the arrival of Jacob Fowler. However, they could make a splash and attempt to bring Swayman to Montreal.
Offer sheets aren't a common occurrence in the NHL because the teams are afraid of upsetting opposing general managers. We saw that firsthand when Don Waddell took Jesperi Kotkaniemi from the Canadiens, which in hindsight was doing them a favor. What better way to reignite the long-time rivalry than stealing the Bruins' goaltending future away from them?
The Canadiens have the draft picks and space to do it
An offer sheet for Jeremy Swayman would land somewhere between $6,871,374 - $9,161,834. The compensation the Canadiens would have to send the other way is a first-round pick, a second-round pick, and a third-round pick. The Canadiens have 28 draft picks over the next three years, and two first-round picks this season. Landing a goaltender like Jeremy Swayman is a small price to pay.
The Canadiens are currently $2 million over the salary cap after the acquisition of Patrik Laine. However, Carey Price's LTIR placement to start the regular season will give them around $8 million in cap space. They also have to look ahead to Juraj Slafkovsky and Kaiden Guhle's contracts kicking in for the 2025-26 season. The good thing is they will likely trade Mike Matheson, and David Savard, Christian Dvorak, and Joel Armia's contracts will come off the books next season.
Pair that with an ever-climbing salary cap, and the prospect of signing Swayman doesn't seem that far-fetched.
Jacob Fowler isn't a sure-thing
It's fair to get excited about Fowler turning pro and joining the Canadiens. The problem is fans need to start halting some of that excitement. Goalies, especially ones coming from college, aren't guaranteed to have immediate success. Fowler could turn pro this season and finish the year in Laval, but the Canadiens shouldn't rush him into the lineup to be a contender.
The Canadiens need to look at one of their division rivals to see why this could be a mistake. The Buffalo Sabres tried to do that with Devon Levi but he had to spend some time in Rochester last season. Levi had great numbers in the American Hockey League, but his performance in Buffalo didn't impress many people. Levi will likely have a great career with the Sabres, but there are questions about whether he is ready. It seems Fowler could face the same questions to begin his pro career.