The Florida Panthers are several games out of playoff contention, and Sergei Bobrovsky could be on the move. Bobrovsky is in the final season of his seven-year contract, which carries a $10 million cap hit. However, an NHL insider recently shared his opinion on what Sergei could be planning.
According to David Pagnotta, he believes Bobrovsky will sign a contract extension with the Panthers. “I think teams have asked, and I think that’s where this stems from; I expect Bobrovsky to sign a two-year extension with Florida at some point after the season,” Pagnotta said.
Florida (30-27-3, 63 points) remains eight points out of a Stanley Cup playoff spot with 22 games left after losing two of its first three games following the Olympic break, most recently a 5-4 loss to the New York Islanders on Sunday to open a four-game road trip.
Bobrovsky’s decline
Bobrovsky is having the worst statistical season of his career. After allowing five goals on Sunday, he now owns a .872 save percentage and a 3.13 goals against average, which rank as the worst and second-worst marks of his career, respectively.
However, his postseason track record speaks for itself. He recorded six shutouts over the last three postseasons, guiding the Panthers to three consecutive Stanley Cup Finals appearances and back-to-back championships.
Bobrovsky, who carries a $10 million cap hit, has a 16-team no-trade list, though the specific teams are unknown. That clause eliminates half of the NHL as potential destinations unless he agrees to waive it.
What is next for the Panthers?
The Panthers have two games remaining before the trade deadline, Tuesday at the New Jersey Devils and Thursday at the Columbus Blue Jackets, as they attempt to gain ground in the playoff race before final roster decisions are made.