Sergei Bobrovsky has goaltended the Florida Panthers to back-to-back Stanley Cups.
Is that really a guy that could be moved before the NHL trade deadline of March 6? Well, the rumors appear to have some real legs to them.
ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski wrote about the situation in a new article on Thursday, and while he describes a Bobrovsky trade as a “shocking possibility,” he then explains why it might make sense.
It starts, of course, with the precarious position the Panthers find themselves in.
“The Panthers had an 18% chance of making the playoffs coming out of the break, according to our latest NHL Bubble Watch,” Wyshynski writes. “Much of that depends on if and when star center Aleksander Barkov returns, and the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions can put together a run to make the postseason, where they’ll remain inherently dangerous thanks to a deep roster and, of course, Sergei “Playoff Bob” Bobrovsky.”
Then you add in Bobrovsky’s contract. He’ll be a free agent after the season.
“ESPN’s Kevin Weekes said it’s a situation worth watching, particularly because Bobrovsky is a pending unrestricted free agent who has yet to receive a contract extension,” Wyshynski writes. “He has two Vezina Trophies and two Stanley Cup wins to his credit. He makes $10 million against the salary cap, but only $6 million actual dollars this season, with trade protection. He’s also 37 years old.”
If the Panthers don’t think they can make the dance, and if they want any value back for Bob, they’d trade him.
“A short-term contract to backstop a veteran team that’s back to full strength next season would seem like one avenue,” Wyshynski writes. “But they do have 26-year-old Daniil Tarasov — who, for what it’s worth, has outplayed Bobrovsky this season. As Weekes said, this is something to watch.”
It’d be the end of an era if the Panthers trade Bobrovsky. That era might be coming to an end regardless.
