The defending Stanley Cup champions are unrecognizable this season and not in a good way: the Florida Panthers have slid to the bottom of the Atlantic Division, and while they snatched a particularly satisfying win over the Toronto Maple Leafs in their first game after the Olympic break, a Stanley Cup threepeat seems improbable. As the Panthers’ underwhelming season exerts pressure, Sergei Bobrovsky is bound to feel the heat.
Insider Raises Alarm Over Florida Panthers-Sergei Bobrovsky Partnership
Bobrovsky helped bring the Panthers’ Stanley Cup aspirations to fruition twice in a row. Whoever remembers Florida’s push for the Cup remembers the towering presence of the veteran goalie in front of the net, successfully squashing the opponent’s attempts to score on many occasions. Over the last two playoffs, Bobrovsky has had a SV% of .906 and .915, respectively.
This season, however, the picture is a little different. Before the NHL momentarily paused to witness its greatest stars grace the Olympic stage, Bobrovsky’s performance was almost inexcusable. Over the last three games before the break, Bobrovsky had a save percentage of .750, .862, and .667. As expected, the Panthers lost all but one of these games.
Writing for The Athletic, Pierre LeBrun explains that the Panthers need to go above and beyond expectations of them to keep alive any postseason hopes. “The two-time defending Stanley Cup champions haven’t given up hope yet on the postseason, but my sense is they feel they need a strong run over these five games to keep that alive. That means probably going 5-0 or 4-1 in that stretch.”
However, if the Panthers falter, there could be ramifications for players teetering on the verge of becoming unrestricted free agents. Of course, this includes Bobrovsky, whose massive, seven-year, $70 million contract is nearing its end.
Although a move surrounding the veteran goalie was inconceivable before, the way things have transpired in Florida, LeBrun surely doesn’t see a contract extension in the works. Moreover, the insider believes that there is little wisdom in hurrying to that end, either, given that this is far from being the goalie’s best season.
“I don’t see an extension coming in the near future. I’m sure it’s something the Panthers will look at after the season, but I’m not sure why it would prudent to do it in-season when Bobrovsky isn’t having a good year. And he’s 37. There’s no rush to get into that conversation,” LeBrun wrote in his contribution.
Moreover, if a situation arises that puts the veteran in the market, despite the massive financial liability his contract entails, teams could still take a look at his record and experience and be interested.
