Deen’s Daily: Swayman gets paid; Captain Keller in Utah

What a weekend it was for the Avalanche. They made a waiver claim and a trade over two days. You don’t often see big-name deals this time of year. And this was no different. But, they made a couple of moves — shifting a depth defenseman and acquiring a draft pick in the process. They weren’t huge names but it was enough to shed some light on just how the team felt training camp played out for a few of its new guys.

I covered both moves in depth over the weekend and dug deep into some of the scenarios that could play out following the trade of Erik Brannstrom to Vancouver. You can read more about the trade here. And if you haven’t gotten a chance, get you know former Penguins defenseman John Ludvig, who Colorado claimed off waivers on Saturday.

Colorado also signed 2024 seventh-round draft pick Nikita Prischepov to a three-year entry-level contract on Sunday.

Around the NHL

Boston Hockey Now: Cam Neely said last week that he could think of 64 million reasons why Jeremy Swayman should be playing hockey right now. The goaltender’s agent Lewis Gross responded by saying $64 million was never discussed in negotiations. I think he was right.

Swayman got paid on Sunday, signing an eight-year, $66 million deal to remain a Boston Bruin for the prime years of his hockey career. His $8.25 million AAV is tied with Ilya Sorokin as the fourth and fifth highest goaltender salaries in 2024-25.

The Swayman signing on the eve of the roster deadline also led to other transactions to make space for their No. 1 goalie.

Clayton Keller: Utah Hockey Club announced over the weekend that Clayton Keller will serve as their first team captain. The 26-year-old is coming off yet another strong season and seems ready to take that next step.

Utah might be one of the more intriguing teams to watch this season. Anytime you go from tumultuous cash-strapped ownership and playing in a less-than-ideal rink to new ownership, big trade acquisitions, and an invigorating fanbase, you’re probably going to have a strong year.

Buffalo Hockey Now: The Sabres went to Prague excited to get their regular season going under new (old) head coach Lindy Ruff. They returned to North America 0-2 with three injured players.

I don’t think that’s what they had planned.