If there is one burning roster void for the Montreal Canadiens, it is goaltending. The trade deadline offered a great opportunity for Kent Hughes to solve the goalie issue, but the Habs’ front office remained relatively quiet through the deadline. However, that was not always the case; we now know that Hughes was interested in two-time Stanley Cup champion Sergei Bobrovsky.
Why Sergei Bobrovsky Appeared on the Montreal Canadiens’ Radar
The Canadiens are undoubtedly among the most successful rebuilds in the NHL. The team is in contention for the playoffs, but playing in the hyper-competitive Atlantic Division, it must always put its best foot forward. If there is one recurrent problem plaguing the Habs, it is undoubtedly goaltending.
Montreal has a young, stacked roster, which has fueled the team’s return to the spotlight after lingering on the periphery. However, the team’s goalie situation has often put the Canadiens at a disadvantage. Sam Montembeault has a save percentage of .873 so far this season, while Jakub Dobes has an .892.
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Hughes may have recognized the situation and attempted to add a star goalie to the lineup; reports have emerged that, along with teams like the Vegas Golden Knights and the Carolina Hurricanes, the Habs were in contention for veteran Florida Panthers goalie Bobrovsky.
“They [Hurricanes] were one of the teams that had poked around on Sergei Bobrovsky; some who believe there was a decent pathway to potentially making that happen; Montreal and Vegas were the other two teams that were kind of in that mix,” David Pagnotta stated, as shared by the NHL Rumour Report on X.
Adding Bobrovsky may have made a lot of sense for the Habs. The 37-year-old goaltender could have added veteran experience and leadership to the primarily young Canadiens team. Moreover, as the team targets a deep postseason run, Bobrovsky, who has now led the Panthers to two successful Stanley Cup runs, could also bring invaluable knowledge to the table.
Unfortunately, Hughes’ plans to land the 37-year-old did not ultimately come to fruition. There are reports that the Canadiens are one team on Bobrovsky’s 16-team no-trade list.
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Bobrovsky has put up relatively underwhelming numbers this season. The veteran goalie’s current SV% of .876 is the worst of his NHL career. Nonetheless, his contribution to the Panthers winning the Cup twice in a row remains undeniable, and interest in the netminder was widespread in the days leading up to the deadline.
However, the Panthers did not move the netminder, even though the team is clearly out of the playoffs at the moment, indicating the franchise’s faith in the goalkeeper. The 37-year-old’s massive seven-year, $70 million contract is at the cusp of expiry, and there is good reason to believe that a contract extension is just around the corner.
