All of the chatter surrounding the Toronto Maple Leafs and free agent netminder Sergei Bobrovsky seems to be trending towards the two sides agreeing to a contract.
On the surface, the match seems like a good one. The Maple Leafs need a goalie, and Bobrovsky wants to get another shot at contention.
And that’s why a July 1 stunner could be heading down the pipeline. Now, the stunner isn’t the deal itself. It will be the terms. The Florida Panthers officially passed on Bobrovsky when they traded for Jacob Markstrom from the New Jersey Devils.
The Panthers also added Akira Schmid from the Vegas Golden Knights, effectively overhauling their goalie tandem. It’s that situation that has pretty much put an end to the Bobrovsky era in South Florida.
Meanwhile, the Maple Leafs need a goalie they can completely rely on. That’s Bobrovsky. But it won’t come cheap. Toronto will have to fork over a long-term deal, something akin to six years and at least $42 million.
But make no mistake. This won’t be an overpay. It will be a calculated risk that the Maple Leafs are going to be making. The organization knows it has two to three years, tops, before a rebuild will become inevitable.
That’s why Bobrovsky makes sense now, regardless of the cost.
Maple Leafs Focused on Next Two Seasons
The timeline of the “next two seasons” has been a talking point over the last few weeks.
But why?
It’s simple. The Maple Leafs have Auston Matthews under contract for two more seasons. Thereafter, the Leafs’ captain can just walk away.
That’s why making a move to acquire Bobrovsky and Darren Raddysh is reasonable. Yes, the deals are overpays and far too long. But the idea isn’t to worry about 2029. The whole focus in 2026 and 2027.
If the Maple Leafs can somehow win a Stanley Cup with Bobrovsky and Raddysh in the fold, no one will care about either contract down the line.
If the bloated, backloaded contracts lead to multiple Stanley Cups in the coming half-decade, so be it.
The organization will figure out the rest when the unavoidable decline sets in.
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There Are No Other Real Suitors for Bobrovsky
As harsh as it may sound, there are no other real suitors for Bobrovsky. Teams with cap space don’t really need a goalie right now. And they’re not the sort of teams that Bobrovsky would be inclined to join.
Other contenders are up against the cap. Interestingly enough, the only team that actually has the wherewithal to sign Bobrovsky to a free-agent deal is Toronto. The Maple Leafs have the cap space and the clear need for a number-one guy.
Oh, and Anthony Stolarz won’t mind riding the bench if Bobrovsky is in town. He already backed up the two-time Vezina winner in Florida. So, who cares if he gets to do it again?
Ultimately, what everyone wants is a Stanley Cup ring. While Stolarz and Bobrovsky already have theirs, they wouldn’t mind another one. And wouldn’t the glory of doing it in Toronto be something truly special?
Maple Leafs Might Have Bobrovsky Stunner for July 1