The Sergei Bobrovsky era with the Florida Panthers officially came to a close earlier this offseason, as he wasn’t offered a new contract with the club that he helped lead to a pair of consecutive Stanley Cup victories. Instead, he signed a three-year contract with the divisional rival Toronto Maple Leafs, and will be earning $7 million per season during that time.
Bobrovsky helped the Panthers defeat the Maple Leafs twice during play in the Stanley Cup Playoffs in 2023 and 2025, but now, he’s part of the new haul of players that general manager John Chayka brought in as part of their very busy offseason.
His now-former teammate, Matthew Tkachuk, who hosts a popular podcast along with his new teammate, Brady Tkachuk, who was recently acquired by the Panthers from the Ottawa Senators, spoke honestly about the defection to Toronto.
Matthew Tkachuk Gets Honest On Sergei Bobrovsky’s Defection To The Toronto Maple Leafs
During a recent episode of his “Wingmen” podcast, Matthew Tkachuk spoke glowingly about Bobrovsky, calling him the “backbone” of the club during their consecutive Stanley Cup victories.
“The backbone,’’ Tkachuk said of Bobrovsky. “Obviously, all of our lives have changed forever since the Cups. Our lives would have been the exact same [because] we wouldn’t have won without him. He was the guy; the guy you relied on, the guy that if you … were playing bad, you knew he would be great.
“He kept us in so many games that we didn’t deserve to be in, and he won us a lot of games that we didn’t deserve to win. Just an outstanding teammate. … I’m going to miss him a ton.
“One of my favorite teammates, ever.’’
The Panthers, who were completely decimated by injuries during the season, did not qualify for the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but are expected to be right back in the mix of things next season.
Still, Tkachuk expressed his hope that Bobrovsky would return to the club following their 82nd and final regular season game, a wish that ultimately went unfulfilled.
“The only guy I will be recruiting, and I hope I don’t have to recruit him, and that’s Bob,” Tkachuk said of Bobrovsky in April.
“We cannot lose him. He’s our guy. He is going to get us back to where we want to be. [He is] the most important piece of our team, the past couple of years, with what he has done. It’s the character, the work ethic, the drive. He sets the tone on and off the ice. I don’t care what age he is, he is the backbone of this team. If we’re going to get back there, we’re going to need him.’’
Sergei Bobrovsky Is Happy To Join The Maple Leafs
After being unable to come to terms on a new contract with the Panthers, Bobrovsky joined the Maple Leafs, something he said he’s excited about.
“First of all, I’m excited for the opportunity,” Bobrovsky said after signing in Toronto. “To be honest, I thought I’m going to stay in Florida. But things work out like how they work out, and the Leafs put their trust in me, they put their belief and they give me a good opportunity to join the historical, legendary team and be part of this organization.”
Matthew Tkachuk Doesn’t Hold Back After Sergei Bobrovsky Joins Maple Leafs