Florida Panthers star goalie Sergei Bobrovsky needs a new contract this summer. With the Panthers facing a playoff miss, will he re-sign on a team-friendly deal or leave town for the highest bidder?
The Florida Panthers are on course to miss the playoffs after winning back-to-back Stanley Cups, and attention is turning to what the future looks like for this accomplished team.
Panthers GM Bill Zito has been proactive in getting the majority of his core signed to long-term contract extensions, including all of their top players at forward and on defense.
However, notable by his absence in that regard is Panthers star goalie Sergei Bobrovsky, who will be a UFA at the end of this season.
Bobrovsky's $10-million cap hit set the bar for the Panthers, as only captain Aleksander Barkov matches that cap hit. But at 37, Bobrovsky is no longer in his prime. That means there's some uncertainty about what his contract could look like.
If Bobrovsky shut down any negotiations with the Panthers and simply went to market this summer, you'd better believe some team is going to step up with a major offer for his services.
Now, he likely won't get $10 million per season on a new deal. But that doesn't mean a lucrative deal won't get done for Bobrovsky.
Let's say the Panthers or maybe another team offers Bobrovsky a three-year contract at $7 million per season. Bobrovsky should say 'yes' to that offer, we think. It would probably be Bobrovsky's last NHL contract, but he'd get one more drink from the financial fountain and still be in a position to win another Cup.
Right now, it makes sense for the Panthers to be making that kind of offer for Bobrovsky. And if they get a deal done with him before this season ends, Florida would be gambling against Bobrovsky getting a less team-friendly amount than he'd get if he were to hit the open market.
What If Bobrovsky Hits NHL Free Agency?
Once this year's playoffs play out, goaltending could be the primary area of interest for many teams.
Let's say the Edmonton Oilers lose in the first or second round because Tristan Jarry can't get the job done. Or let's say the Montreal Canadiens are looking to take the next competitive step with someone else in net. Are you saying acquiring Bobrovsky by throwing a $7-million cap hit or better at him wouldn't be something the Oilers or Habs consider? If so, we heartily disagree. The Oilers are in win-now mode, while the Canadiens could use a better stop-gap before Jacob Fowler is ready to be a starter.
Ultimately, the free-agent market is all about leverage. And fortunately for Bobrovsky, he has the leverage right now. No other UFA goalie this summer will have the competitive pedigree he has, with two Stanley Cup wins and two Vezina Trophies.
This is why it's imperative that Zito gets Bobrovsky signed before the season ends. Once he does hit the market, Bobrovsky could look at it like he's a gun-for-hire, and simply go to the highest bidder, which may or may not be the Panthers.
It's hard to see him accepting a shorter-term contract when the market will almost certainly be in his favor. Although it's also very possible the Panthers keep him, we don't think you're going to see Bobrovsky give a discount to stay, even factoring in the no-tax state advantages. He'll likely take a pay cut, but we think he could still get himself a solid deal from Florida or another team.
Bobrovsky can deliver solid netminding for a couple more seasons and get every penny the market will bear. So if the Panthers want to try to win another Stanley Cup, they should keep at the negotiations before the off-season kicks in.
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