Could Swayman Help Crosby-led Penguins to Stanley Cup?

The Pittsburgh Penguins have one of the oldest lineups in the NHL, led by Evgeni Malkin (38), Kris Letang (37), and Sidney Crosby (37). However, like a fine wine, this trio has continued to play at an elite level and bring invaluable experience to the lineup.

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All three skaters have been part of the Penguins organization since 2006 and have been the backbones of three Stanley Cup titles. Future Hall of Famer goalie Marc-Andre Fleury has helped them along the way, while Matt Murray was instrumental in the 2016 and 2017 championships.

Teams need good goaltending to be successful in the NHL. Boston has had Tim Thomas, Tuukka Rask, Linus Ullmark, and Jeremy Swayman for the past two decades to keep them in contention.

During the offseason, the Bruins dealt former Vezina Trophy winner Ullmark to Ottawa and have yet to come to terms with Swayman, who wants roughly $10 million annually for eight years. But Boston has topped out at $64 million for eight, leaving the star goalie and Original Six franchise at en passe.

Since no one has signed Swayman to an offer sheet, much talk about his future revolves around a possible trade to end the drama brewing in Beantown.

The Penguins brass and their fanbase may not be in the running for Swayman, but as the old saying goes, “Why not us?”

In 132 games, Swayman has a 79-33-15 record with a 2.34 GAA and .919 SV%. He’s recorded 12 shutouts while winning the William M. Jennings Trophy with Ullmark in 2022-23.

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Moreover, the Alaskan native was an All-Rookie Team member and skated in the 2024 All-Star Game. In the postseason, he’s 9-10 with a career 2.38 GAA and .922 SV%. Additionally, in 12 playoff games last season, he was 6-6 while producing a league-leading .933 SV%.

For comparison, this is how the Penguins goalies have played since Swayman entered the league in 2020-21:

Pittsburgh has roughly $249,229 in cap space, so general manager Kyle Dubas must work hard to afford a goalie worth $8 to $10 million.

First, Jarry must be included in the trade, clearing up $5,375,000 in cap space and leaving about $4.625 million to move. Without breaking up the Crosby, Malkin, or Letang connection, a possible addition to the trade could be Rickard Rakell ($5 million) or Bryan Rust ($5.1 million).

Additionally, some prospects, like Joel Blomqvist or Sergei Marushov, could be tossed in the trade, plus some draft capital (Pittsburgh has 17 picks in the next two drafts) to balance everything out.

No one wants to see Rakell or Rust to be moved, but simultaneously, the Penguins can’t part with Marcus Pettersson ($4 million) or Erik Karlsson ($10 million). However, Ryan Graves ($4.5 million) could be a possibility.

Of course, no one expects Pittsburgh to call Boston and kick the tires on a Swayman, but in reality, he’s bet on himself and wants to be paid to lead a team to the Stanley Cup.

Crosby, Malkin, and Letang only have so many games left in their careers. The Penguins could use an injection of youth between the pipes who can make critical saves in big moments, which they have needed over the past few seasons to get back into the winner’s circle.

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