Bruins now need Jeremy Swayman to be as good as he thinks he is | Matt Vautour

BOSTON — Shortly after Cam Neely delivered his instantly iconic “64 million reasons” line at Monday’s Bruins media day, he said this about Jeremy Swayman and their contract impasse.

“What his ask is and what we believe his comp group is, are two different things,” Neely said.

But six days late he signed. They’re united for the next eight years and the Bruins need Swayman to be the goalie he believes he is. He thought he should be paid like an elite goalie. They need him to belong in the comp group — Connor Hellebuyck, Sergei Bobrovsky etc. — he already sees himself in.

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This contract is a deal or an albatross. Swayman is either a young No. 1, who can make the Bruins competitive for the next eight years or a bad contract that can hinder them for the same time frame.

Because of how well Swayman played in the playoffs, it’s easy to forget that statistically Linus Ullmark was the superior goalie down the stretch last year. From March 11 to April 9, Swayman gave up 22 goals in seven games with a save percentage below .900. People were starting to worry if he was wearing down.

But he rebounded and was outstanding in the postseason.

Now the 25-year-old Alaskan goes into 2024-25 seeking a bigger workload than he’s ever shouldered before. It’s not just physical. With Linus Ullmark sharing the burden, he had a true partner to play half the games, and to carry half the leadership load. Now as the duo splits is he Simon or Garfunkel?

It’s not just more regular season starts. It’s the NHL 4 Nations Face-Off, and possibly a longer stay in the postseason.

Swayman has made no secret about his desire to be a franchise icon and he can be an all-timer in Boston. His reputation got dented a little by this negotiation but success will buff that right out. Taking the No. 1 reins this early in his career gives him a chance to chase Tuukka Rask’s records if he stays sharp and healthy.

Last year Swayman talked a lot about being motivated by the Bruins’ case at arbitration. On Sunday he said he wouldn’t be motivated by this negotiation, but by the quest to win a Stanley Cup. That’s good because he and the Bruins are on the same side of the table for the foreseeable future. His success is their success and vice versa.

They signed him and he wanted to stay because both thought the other gave them their best shot at a championship.

“The motivation is the Stanley Cup. That’s all I care about. This step is going to motivate me above and beyond what I’ve had before,” he said. “The end goal is to win a Stanley Cup and I believe this is a group that can do it and have shots at it for many years. Every year I’m a part of it, I’m going to make sure that’s a reality.”

Neely and the Bruins have 66 million reasons to hope Swayman is right

Follow MassLive sports columnist Matt Vautour on Twitter at @MattVautour424.