The Florida Panthers are bringing back a depth option in net. The team has announced that Philippe Desrosiers has signed a one-year contract extension. It is a two-way contract, and while no financial terms were disclosed, it is expected to be the same minimum $700K NHL salary as the deal he initially signed last summer.
Desrosiers, 25, has yet to make his NHL debut despite being selected in the second round back in 2013. The former QMJHL star and top Dallas Stars prospect never quite found his footing in the AHL early on, struggling to play well enough to avoid a demotion to the ECHL. That changed when he joined the Panthers last season, sticking in the AHL for a full season for the first time. Despite a 3.05 goals against average, 2019-20 was arguably also his best pro season, as he recorded a career-high .916 save percentage and 29 appearances and won 16 games.
Entering a new year, the situation is status quo for Florida in goal. Sergei Bobrovsky is the bell cow starter for the Panthers in the NHL and Chris Driedger and RFA Samuel Montembeault again seem destined to compete for the backup job with the loser taking over the starting role in the AHL. Ryan Bednard spent most of his first pro season in the ECHL and could do so again. Barring another addition – and a solid backup for Bobrovsky in a condensed season might be a smart move – Desrosiers should likely return to his backup job in the AHL, so long as he can hold off Bednard, and could be an injury away from challenging Driedger or Montembeault himself for an NHL opportunity.