Toronto Maple Leafs general manager John Chayka issued a statement on starting goalie Sergei Bobrovsky after his rough start to the season.
Bobrovsky allowed 5 goals on just 17 shots in a 5-4 Maple Leafs loss to the Seattle Kraken on Wednesday night. It was a very poor showing by the two-time Stanley Cup winner, who was signed to a three-year, $21 million contract by the Maple Leafs this summer.
While it’s still early, Bobrovsky hasn’t looked good this season for Toronto, as the 38-year-old Russian is 3-5-2 with a 3.29 GAA and an .885 SV%, which are below-average numbers for a starting-caliber NHL goalie.
So, will the Maple Leafs make a change at net? According to Chayka, and maybe to the disappointment of fans, it’s not happening anytime soon.
John Chayka Comments on Sergei Bobrovsky’s Struggles
Speaking to the media on Thursday, Chayka commented on Bobrovsky’s struggles and the calls to remove him as the Maple Leafs’ starter from the fans.
“We have a lot of confidence in Bob. He’s an elite competitor with a long track record of success. He holds himself to an incredibly high standard, and we know what he brings to our team,” Chayka said.
What’s Wrong With Sergei Bobrovsky?
Understandably, Maple Leafs fans everywhere are concerned about Bobrovsky’s short time in Toronto, as it has been a struggle for him.
While it’s true that he has historically been a bit of a slow starter during his NHL career, the Maple Leafs were surely expecting a much better start to the season for him, given how much money they guaranteed the veteran goalie in free agency.
Obviously, there is still a long season ahead, as the Maple Leafs have only played in 15 of their 84 scheduled regular-season games, so Bobrovsky has plenty of time to get things right. But so far, it hasn’t been a great start to his Maple Leafs’ career.
While Toronto is committed to Bobrovsky as the team’s starter, as Chayka said, perhaps backup goalie Anthony Stolarz will get some more starts going forward, as he has been the better goalie of the pair to start the season for Toronto.
John Chayka Issues Statement on Maple Leafs Sergei Bobrovsky