The Florida Panthers have been heavily linked to netminder Sergei Bobrovsky, expected to pursue the 30-year-old in the summer during free agency.
It’s been no surprise that the Florida Panthers are actively pursuing goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky. After all, he fits a primary need and would strengthen the Panthers’ goal immensely.
But what seems to be clear is that while the Panthers have tried to formulate a trade over the past few days for his services, it’s unlikely that Bobrovsky will arrive in Sunrise, Florida via trade.
According to The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun (note: article behind paywall), the Panthers’ chances of acquiring Bobrovsky before the deadline are “slim.”
This really comes as to no surprise seeing that the Blue Jackets’ asking price for their No. 1 goalie is pretty hefty and the Cats can always circle back in the summer without having to lose any assets.
Essentially, GM Dale Tallon called Jarmo Kekalainen (Jackets GM) inquiring about what assets he would need to part ways with in order to complete a potential deal.
Once figuring out that a trade would prove costly, Tallon decided that the best option moving forward would to be to circle back and sign him on the open market.
For Bobrovsky, this means that the max term he’ll be getting in free agency this summer is seven years. Had a trade gone down with Florida or any other team, his term could be increased by one, ultimately earning an eight-year deal.
On the other hand, the Panthers have both the assets and cap space available to make either route work.
Since trading forwards Nick Bjugstad and Jared McCann, the Cats don’t only have enough space to approach Bobrovsky, but enough even to entice Artemi Panarin to join.
The Russian winger has also been linked to South Florida, as he and Panthers forward Evgeni Dadonov are good friends who played together back in Russia for SKA St. Petersburg and the national team.
Eventually and patiently, the Panthers will get their Luongo replacement and it looks as if Sergei Bobrovsky will be that guy.
While being patient may be difficult for many of us, the Panthers have a plan set in place and one that will not only be centered around one Blue Jacket but one that could very well be concentrated around signing a couple of Blue Jackets.
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