The Florida Panthers announced today that the club has agreed to terms with goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky on a seven-year contract worth $70 million. According to reports the deal contains a no-movement clause for the first five years.
General Manager Dale Tallon had this to say:
“Sergei is an elite starting goaltender who has consistently proven to be one of the best in the NHL. Adding a world class goalie with Sergei’s abilities and experience will give us a solid foundation in net and the confidence to win every night as we look towards this next era of Panthers hockey in South Florida.”
Last season, Bobrovsky, 30, appeared in 62 games with the Columbus Blue Jackets, posting a 37-24-1 record, .913 save percentage, 2.58 goals against average and a league-leading, career-best nine shutouts. In the postseason, the 6-foot-2, 182-pound native of Novokuznetsk, Russia, played in all 10 of Columbus’ playoff games, posting six wins, a .925 save percentage and 2.41 goals against average.
The All-Star netminder is a two-time recipient of the Vezina Trophy (2012-13, 2016-17), awarded annually to the NHL goaltender who is “adjudged to be the best at his position”. In 2016-17, Bobrovsky owned a league-best .931 save percentage and career-best 41 wins. In each of his last two seasons, Bobrovsky has registered 37 wins.
Bobrovsky owns the second-highest save percentage in the league (.921) among NHL goaltenders who have appeared in at least 300 games since the 2012-13 season, while being tied for the third-most wins (213) and owning the third-most shutouts (33).
Bobrovsky has appeared in 457 career NHL regular season games with Columbus (2012-13 to 2018-19) and the Philadelphia Flyers (2010-11 to 2011-12), compiling a 255-153-37 record, .919 save percentage, 2.46 goals against average and 33 shutouts. He has played in 34 career playoff games producing 11 wins, a .902 save percentage and 3.14 goals against average.
Undrafted, Bobrovsky was originally signed as a free agent by Philadelphia on May 6, 2010.
On the international stage, Bobrovsky has represented Russia at the IIHF World Championship three times, winning gold (2014), silver (2015) and bronze (2016) medals. In 2014, he produced a tournament-best save percentage (.950) and goals against average (1.13) in route to being named the tournament’s top goaltender. He also represented his country at the 2014 Winter Olympic Games and 2016 World Cup of Hockey.
Are you happy Bobrovsky is the new #1 goalie?
| Yes | 104 |
| No | 6 |
| Okay with it, but should have went with a cheaper option | 30 |