The Florida Panthers for the first time in a while had a disappointing season this past year as they missed the postseason. The two-time defending Stanley Cup champs last missed the playoffs in the 2018-2019 campaign.
The biggest reason behind the Panthers drop off in form was a rash of injuries that took place from the amount of hockey the team has played the past three seasons, having made the Stanley Cup final every year. They were without captain Alexander Barkov for the entire duration of the season. Many other Florida players missed time, including star forward Matthew Tkachuk as he was out for over half the year.
The Panthers will be looking for a bounce back season next year and return to their usual playoff territory. However, some key members of the team may not feature on next season’s squad with the most notable being two-time Vezina winning goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky. The 37-year old Russian goalie’s contract with the club expires this summer as he will be a free agent.
Panthers Retaining Bobrovsky Will Be a Challenge
Resigning Bobrovsky will be difficult for Florida with their tricky salary cap situation, but they will try to make it happen. Insider Elliotte Friedman spoke about this on the 32 Thoughts podcast: “I remember last year we didn’t think they’d be able to keep all three [of Marchand, Ekblad, Bennett]; if Florida wants to do something, they’ll find a way; he wants to stay.”
Via Puck Pedia, the Panthers will have approximately $7.9 million in cap room to utilize this summer. Bobrovsky’s current deal pays him $10 million per season, so he’d have to take a significant pay cut to fit in Florida’s books. Considering he is approaching the twilight of his career and the success he has had with this organization, it would be logical to presume Bobrovsky would be willing to take less on his next deal as many of his championship winning teammates have done before him.
The problem Florida faces is it’s not just Bobrovsky they have to worry about bringing back this summer. If they retain Bobrovsky, the deal would likely leave them with little left to make space for the rest of the players they want to resign. Those players include A.J Greer, Tomas Nosek, Mackie Samoskevich, and fellow netminder Danill Tarosov among others. So unless “Bob” takes a massive discount, the Panthers will not be able to keep all these guys.
Bobrovsky Would Garner Interest in Free Agency
If Florida does not meet the Bobrovsky camp’s demands, he will generate interest in the open market this offseason from teams looking for a significant upgrade in net.
One of those teams that has been linked to him is the San Jose Sharks. The Daily Faceoff’s Jeff Marek inquired about the possibility on The Sheet: “The other place I wonder about is San Jose for Sergei Bobrovsky, having the Russian mentor there for Askarov, I’ve kinda been on that one for a while, we’ll see if that gets there.”
The Sharks are just one of many teams that would likely pursue Bobrovsky’s services if he becomes available. While his best days are behind him, Bobrovsky has a wealth of experience to provide. He has amassed 456 wins and 53 shutouts in his 806 game NHL career, including two Stanley Cup wins in the playoffs on his resume.
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