Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky speaks after Florida's 4-3 win over Edmonton on June 13. When he arrived in South Florida back in the summer of 2019, Sergei Bobrovsky had resume worthy of Hall of Fame consideration. He had over 250 wins and a pair of Vezina Trophies under his belt, but playoff success had eluded him. Slowly but surely, Bobrovsky and the Florida Panthers began building toward something during the playoffs, reaching some form of the postseason in each of his five seasons (if you count the bubble playoffs qualifying round). Image [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjAwNjE3OTM2NjIzMjQ4NDky/img_6014.jpg] It’s been the way he’s found another gear in his game over the past couple seasons, particularly during the playoffs, that has cemented Bob’s place as a Hall of Famer. That, and…winning the Stanley Cup. Last week, The Athletic published a story in which they discussed current NHL players in multiple Hall of Fame-related tiers [https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5647256/2024/07/23/nhl-hockey-hall-of-fame-tiers-active-players-hof-case/]. The tiers included players who “could retire today and make it” into the HHOF, those who are “right on the cusp” and so on. Among the 16 players considered to be eventual Hall of Fame locks who are still playing in the NHL was Bobrovsky, who was one of four current goalies who are believed to be future members of the HHOF. They were Bob, Marc-Andre Fleury, Jonathan Quick and Andrei Vasilevskiy. There are no arguments here. For what it’s worth, the story went on to rank four additional tiers of Hall of Fame hopefuls. They were Right on the cusp, Outside shots, On track and Check back in a few years. As far as Florida players go, a pair of Cats were included in the latter categories. Panthers captain and two-time Selke Trophy winner Sasha Barkov was among the six players who are believed to be “On Track” for Hall of Fame consideration. This makes sense, and it feels like there would have to be a significant drop in the level of Barkov’s play for him to drop out of HHOF consideration at this point. Matthew Tkachuk, who is still just 26 years old, was included in the group of players under the ‘Check back in a few years’ category. If Tkachuk’s career, which should still have more than 10 seasons left in it, ends up following the same path that he has to this point, he’ll be a no-doubt member of the Hockey Hall of Fame community. To check out the full HHOF hopeful list put together by Peter Baugh and Eric Duhatschek of The Athletic, click here [https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5647256/2024/07/23/nhl-hockey-hall-of-fame-tiers-active-players-hof-case/]. LATEST STORIES FROM THE HOCKEY NEWS - FLORIDA Sam Reinhart has done nothing but flourish since joining Florida Panthers [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/players/sam-reinhart-has-done-nothing-but-flourish-since-joining-florida-panthers] Paul Maurice has been a treat on the mic, providing countless memorable moments [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/paul-maurice-has-been-a-treat-on-the-mic-providing-countless-memorable-moments] The Hockey Show: Ranking hockey movies, discussing Stan Bowman hiring by Oilers [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/the-hockey-show-ranking-hockey-movies-discussing-stan-bowman-hiring-by-oilers] Florida Panthers front office earns top spot on The Athletic’s list of contract efficiency [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/latest-news/florida-panthers-front-office-earns-top-spot-on-the-athletics-list-of-contract-efficiency] Kyle Okposo reveals connection between his jersey number, Batman and Stanley Cup glory [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/florida-panthers/players/kyle-okposo-reveals-connection-between-his-jersey-number-batman-and-stanley-cup-glory] Image [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MjAxNjQxMjA5NjI4NzMxMDIz/unnamed.jpg]
