The Bruins make their statement alongside Cam Neely

First of all, how delightful and extremely refreshing to hear Neely summoning his hidden Harry Sinden. We haven't seen anyone in Spoked-B's front office be this direct and quotable since Give 'Em Hell Harry took over as general manager.

For those too young to know or too old to remember, Sinden said in 1992 that he hoped then-junior Joe Juneau “learned to yodel” when he learned of the winger's hints that he would play in Switzerland instead of accepting the Bruins' offer.

A few days later, Juneau, just back from the French Alps and the 1992 Olympics, put on his freshly minted Bruins sweater. Juneau earned a degree in aeronautical engineering from RPI while learning to read and speak English. A very good, smart guy, although he never learned to yodel.

A Globe reporter's email to Swayman's representative seeking comment on Neely's remark went unanswered. Swayman, who has said very little publicly about the negotiations, has not been seen at the club's training facility since training camp opened almost two weeks ago.

If we extract from Neely's comment and apply basic NHL CBA interpretive skills, we should assume that the Bruins have offered their goaltender $64 million over eight years – the maximum contract length players are allowed to sign.

About 7½ hours after Neely made his comments, Swayman's agent, Lewis Gross, declined the offer.

“This was the first time this number was discussed in our negotiations,” Gross posted on social media. “No offer of this amount was made before the press conference.”

Gross had not yet returned a Globe reporter's email.

“We are extremely disappointed,” Gross continued. “That wasn’t fair to Jeremy. We will take a few days to discuss what happens next.”

Asked during the press conference if he believes reports that Swayman is trying to reset market prices for NHL goaltenders, Neely said: “I do, yes.

“What his request is and what we think his comp is are two different things.”

Swayman has the right and should ask for the moon and more. This applies to every athlete, every sport, no matter how outrageously high the numbers seem to the vast majority of us who live our lives by the 37.5 or 40 hour week. The sports industry as a whole is a gaming world, right? We just have to accept that the numbers are crazy, and in the NHL they can actually look a bit modest when compared next to the far crazier deals that are routinely handed out in the NFL, MLB and NBA.

What Swayman might have on his mind — we're guessing here, folks — is the deal Charlie McAvoy signed in October 2021. He pressured GM Don Sweeney and others for $9.5 million for eight years, which was his third NHL contract. That was a big increase from the $4.9 million cap hit of his previous three-year deal.

Is a franchise goaltender worth at least as much as a franchise defenseman when comparing them as they enter their third contracts?

There's a lot of hair-splitting in this discussion, especially when specifically comparing McAvoy and Swayman, but as someone who's followed the league for about half a century, I'd say, “You bet?” Pay the aspiring franchise goaltender what You paid the aspiring franchise defender three years ago.

In terms of what we think they are or will be, both Swayman and McAvoy are still developing but have their “franchise” billings to live up to. Based on what Neely said, it's a logical leap to think that Swayman might feel like he's been shortchanged by about $1.5 million per year when looking at McAvoy's deal if the standing offer eight years times $8 million.

That's $12 million left on the table. As they would say in Maine, where Swayman enrolled before enrolling at Jacobs University, that's a lot of maple syrup and lobster.

But again, we're all just guessing and trying to connect the dots that already exist on the Bruins' payroll.

Another guess is that the Bruins feel like they can stand firm as the clock ticks louder with each passing second as December 1st approaches. According to the CBA, Swayman's NHL season will be over if he doesn't sign by then. He can play in Europe. Or learn to yodel.

At that point, Swayman would lose a year of peak earning power at a cost estimated at $8 million. An NFL quarterback might think that's weekend party money, but most NHL players would swallow hard at that number. Bruins captain Brad Marchand, for example, is finalizing a deal that paid a career-high $6.125 million. And he played down to the smallest detail – and beyond.

What is different today than any other day? Nothing really, as Swayman stays outside and can enjoy the glorious early autumn sunshine before the frozen winter sky sets in.

But Neely giving up the number after initially noting that he was surprised by the state of negotiations could well have been his way of saying it was time for Swayman to take it or leave it.

The season begins next Tuesday evening, 53 days before December 1st. Every second echoes through the gorge like the call of a yodeler.

Kevin Paul Dupont can be reached at [email protected].