The Florida Panthers enter the 2025-26 season with their superstar goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky between the posts, but his backup netminder will be different this season, and the pair share a unique history.

The Panthers traded and signed 26-year-old goaltender Daniil Tarasov to a one-year contract this offseason. The Panthers needed a backup after they traded Spencer Knight to the Chicago Blackhawks during the 2024-25 season and allowed Vitek Vanecek to walk in free agency. 

Tarasov has spent the first four seasons of his North American career playing with the Columbus Blue Jackets, splitting his games played between 65 in the NHL and 34 in the AHL. Throughout his young career, Tarasov has struggled with consistency, but with a cap hit of just $1.05 million, it's a worthwhile gamble from GM Bill Zito and the Panthers. 

In his first four games, the former 2017 third-round pick posted a .937 SP, but the season that followed saw different results, posting an .892 SP in 17 games. The high expectations returned after Tarasov rebounded in the 2023-24 season, notching a .908 SP in 24 games. With the opportunity to take over the Blue Jackets' net and grab the starting role, Tarasov struggled again, posting a career worst .881 SP in 20 games. With his inconsistencies, the Blue Jackets felt comfortable trading Tarasov for a fifth-round pick. 

Daniil Tarasov Traded To Florida Panthers Pierre LeBrun has reported that goalie Daniil Tarasov has been traded to the Florida Panthers today. 

Tarasov and the other half of his tandem, Bobrovsky, share several similarities. The pair are both Russian goaltenders born in Novokuznetsk. They also share similar experiences, both having played for the Blue Jackets early in their careers. But an interview Bobrovsky recently conducted with a Russian outlet highlights the connection Tarasov and Bobrovsky share runs deeper.

When Bobrovsky was growing up and moving through the ranks of the Russian junior leagues, he admired Vadim Tarasov, Daniil's father and the goaltender of Metallurg Novokuznetsk, where Bobrovsky played in Russia. 

“Yes, it’s a unique situation,” said Bobrosvky when asked about Tarasov joining the Panthers and the connection he has to his father. “I really did follow Vadim Tarasov and looked up to him throughout my childhood and teenage years. And now I’ll be playing alongside his son. It’s not just irony, it’s a really interesting twist of fate. This will be a beneficial partnership, and we’ll help each other out."

Tarasov and Bobrovsky have different goalie styles due to their physical attributes. Bobrovsky is listed at 6-foot-2 and relies on athleticism to stop pucks, while Tarasov is a towering 6-foot-5, who uses his size to cut down the angle of shooters. 

If Tarasov can find his game once again and prove to be a standout backup netminder, the Panthers could receive the luxury of providing Bobrovsky additional rest to keep him fresh after three gruelling playoff runs.