The asking price for free agent goalie Sergei Bobrovsky, who has won two Stanley Cups with the Florida Panthers, has been revealed.
Bobrovsky is finishing up his seven-year, $70 million contract with the Panthers after a very successful run in Florida that saw him lead the team to three straight Stanley Cup Finals, winning two of them.
As of July 1, the 37-year-old Bobrovsky will become a free agent, and he will immediately become one of the top goalies on the market.
Now, we know his price tag.
Price Tag for Sergei Bobrovsky is Revealed
According to Sportsnet‘s NHL insider Nick Kypreos, Bobrovsky is looking for a six- or seven-year contract worth $42 million.
“Speaking of the Panthers, they remain focused on re-signing pending UFA Sergei Bobrovsky, but they may have to start considering who his potential replacement might be if his extremely high demand on an extension doesn’t come down. There are some suggestions that his ask is as high as $42 million over six or seven years. Bobrovsky will turn 38 years old in September,” Kypreos said.
As Kypreos said, the Panthers would like to bring Bobrovsky back, which makes sense given how much success he has achieved in Florida over the past seven years.
Not only did the Panthers win two Stanley Cups with Bobrovsky backstopping the team to victory, but he also achieved personal success by winning 201 regular-season games with Florida in 349 games with the team. It’s obviously been a good fit between Florida and the Russian netminder, and the team would love for the marriage to continue.
But with Bobrovsky having a big asking price for his next contract, it’s not a guarantee he returns.
What Teams Would Want Sergei Bobrovsky?
If Bobrovsky does leave the Panthers, the team that everyone is already looking at as his next potential destination is the Edmonton Oilers, who we know are looking to upgrade their goaltending.
It would certainly be something to see Bobrovsky in an Oilers’ uniform after the Panthers beat them in two straight years to win the Stanley Cup. But if the Oilers offer him the right contract, perhaps he could be coaxed into leaving the Panthers and joining the Oilers instead.
There were also rumors at the NHL trade deadline that the Stanley Cup champion Carolina Hurricanes wanted to acquire him. But the Panthers held on, and the Panthers went into the Stanley Cup playoffs with Brandon Bussi and Frederik Andersen as their goalies, and it ended up working out as the team won the Stanley Cup.
But with Andersen an impending free agent himself, the Panthers could potentially circle back to Bobrovsky and see if he is interested in joining the team for next season and beyond, though after Bussi had a tremendous Stanley Cup Finals performance, perhaps the Hurricanes are set in net now.
We’ll see where Bobrovsky ends up in free agency, and there’s certainly a good chance he simply returns to Florida. But, as one of the top free-agent goalies on the market, he should get some big contract offers in free agency, and that could convince him to leave the team he’s been with for the past seven years.
Sergei Bobrovsky’s Asking Price Revealed