The Florida Panthers may have to look for an alternative for Sergei Bobrovsky this offseason.
One of the Panthers‘ top offseason objectives will be to re-sign their two-time Stanley Cup champion goaltender. Bobrovsky is an unrestricted free agent and the Panthers are negotiating in at attempt to bring back their starting goalie for the past seven seasons.
However, a return isn’t exactly certain as the latest report indicates that the 37-year-old Bobrovsky is seeking a six or seven-year deal with an asking price as high as $42 million, according to Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos.
If that is the case, the Panthers might not be so eager to sign an aging goaltender — as pivotal as he has been to the team’s success — to a long-term contract. Bobrovsky is coming off probably his worst season as a member of the Panthers, allowing his highest goals against average (3.07) and suffering his most losses since joining Florida in 2019.
Frederik Anderson Could Be Florida Panthers’ Plan B Option
As The Sporting News’ Julian Gaudio suggests, the Panthers have a number of goaltending options if they want to go another route. One of the key names he mentioned is none other than Carolina Hurricanes goalie Frederik Andersen, who is coming off of a Stanley Cup season with the Carolina Hurricanes.
Andersen led the Hurricanes to 13 of their 16 wins in the Stanley Cup playoffs before an injury sidelined him for the final four games of the Stanley Cup Finals against the Las Vegas Golden Knights. Prior to his injury, Andersen had posted a 13-2 record with a 1.89 goals against average and a .910 save percentage.
“Frederik Andersen guided the Carolina Hurricanes to 13 of their 16 wins in the Stanley Cup playoffs, as he dealt with injuries in the last three wins,” said Gaudio. “He was outstanding through the first three rounds as the Hurricanes lost just one game. Unlike the first three mentioned names, Andersen is a UFA, and acquiring him wouldn’t require the Panthers to trade for him. At 36 years old, Andersen would also be a short-term option for the Panthers.”
Frederik Andersen Would Be Cheaper Option Than Sergei Bobrovsky
Andersen isn’t exactly a youngster either as he’s on the older end of things. Andersen is 36 years old and has been a starting goalie since the 2013-14 season.
However, his asking price — especially in terms of the length of deal — are sure to be shorter than Bobrovsky’s. The idea of also joining the Panthers — the team that beat the Hurricanes in the conference finals twice in recent years — in an effort to win another Stanley Cup could also be an appealing option for Andersen. The Panthers were the back-to-back defending champs prior to this season when injuries — captain Aleksander Barkov was out for the entire season — put a damper on their repeat bid.
Andersen is coming off of a one-year, $2.75 million contract with the Hurricanes. One could expect his next contract to be around the same value, which is a major decrease from Bobrovsky’s projected annual contract value of $6 to $7 million.
It remains to be seen how negotiations play out entering the NHL free agency period, which starts on July 1. The Panthers surely want to bring back a key piece of their championship roster. But if push comes to shove, there will be no shortage of alternative options.
Panthers Named Landing Spot For Stanley Cup Goalie to Replace Sergei Bobrovsky