Maple Leafs Sign Sergei Bobrovsky To Three-Year Deal
According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman, the Toronto Maple Leafs are closing in on a deal with netminder Sergei Bobrovsky. ESPN’s Kevin Weekes shared that it’s expected to be a three-year deal between Bobrovsky and the Maple Leafs. Friedman confirmed that it’ll be a three-year deal for Bobrovsky with a $7MM salary.
The Maple Leafs have finally landed their big-ticket netminder. In Bobrovsky, Toronto is adding a two-time Stanley Cup champion. Even better, they’ve poached him from the Florida Panthers, one of their Atlantic Division rivals.
Bobrovsky has been one of the league’s best netminders for some time. Even before his time with the Panthers, Bobrovsky won a pair of Vezina Trophies with the Columbus Blue Jackets in the mid-2010s, being one of the only netminders to do so.
In Florida, his exploits are well known. Although he never won a Vezina Trophy in Sunrise, Bobrovsky managed to win over 200 games for the Panthers. Even outside of the regular season, Bobrovsky gave the Panthers three impressive postseason runs. Backstopping the Panthers to three consecutive appearances in the Stanley Cup Final, Bobrovsky managed a 44-21-0 record in 66 games with a .912 SV% and 2.41 GAA.
Furthermore, in a humorous factoid, Bobrovsky has the most wins of any goaltender in Toronto throughout the postseason in the last five years. That includes the Maple Leafs’ goalies.
Still, despite his career accomplishments, it’s worth mentioning that Bobrovsky is coming off the worst season of his professional career. Although the team was littered with injuries, Bobrovsky finished the 2025-26 campaign with a 27-23-1 record in 52 games with a .877 SV%, 3.07 GAA, and -23.4 GSAA.
Granted, it’s such an outlier compared to his career production that it could easily be just that, an outlier. However, at 37 years old, there’s a distinct possibility that the heavy workload and three deep playoff runs have finally gotten to Bobrovsky.
If the Maple Leafs can get anything close to the previous version of Bobrovsky, they will have a much better outlook for the 2026-27 campaign and beyond, particularly in the postseason. However, if his 2025-26 production wasn’t an outlier and it’s instead his new baseline, this contract has the potential to become one of, if not the worst of the offseason.
Photo courtesy of Geoff Burke of Imagn Images.
Evening Notes: Werenski, Nikishin, Bobrovsky
The Zach Werenski trade saga has a frontrunner. On Monday’s “Insider Trading,” Pierre LeBrun reported that the Tampa Bay Lightning are the reigning Norris Trophy winner’s team of choice. Werenski is considered unlikely to sign an extension with Columbus, and the Blue Jackets are listening to offers, with GM Don Waddell seeking immediate roster help rather than a package built on picks and prospects. It’s a notable escalation from where things stood two weeks ago, when no trade request had been communicated.
The complicating factor is the contract. Werenski, 28, is signed through 2027-28 at a cap hit just over $9.5 million and holds a full no-movement clause, meaning he’d have to approve any destination, and he can’t be extended until July 1, 2027. That’s why LeBrun framed a third team as a real possibility, squaring Columbus’s desire for roster help with Tampa’s cap sheet may require one. The Lightning cleared some blue-line room by moving Darren Raddysh in a sign-and-trade, and while Tampa is the preferred fit, Dallas, Toronto, reportedly the only Canadian team Werenski would waive for, and Philadelphia are also pushing. Werenski is coming off a career-best 22 goals and 81 points in 75 games en route to his first Norris.
Additional Notes:
The Rangers are still after Nikishin. On the FAN Hockey Show, Elliotte Friedman reported that New York offered picks including a first-rounder for Carolina defenseman Alexander Nikishin, but the Hurricanes have been firm that the price must include a roster player, not just picks, and the Rangers are trying again, with Nikishin said to be happy at the idea of the move. The 24-year-old pending RFA won the Cup as a rookie this past season (11 goals, 33 points, an All-Rookie nod) and is seeking north of $8 million annually; Carolina grew more willing to move him after acquiring John Carlson‘s signing rights.
Sergei Bobrovsky‘s asking price on a new contract remains high. On Real Kyper & Bourne, Nick Kypreos said Bobrovsky’s ask is in the neighborhood of six years and $40-42 million as he approaches unrestricted free agency. The two-time Vezina winner turns 38 in September and is coming off a career-worst season on a Panthers team that missed the playoffs. After Florida acquired both Akira Schmid and Jacob Markström over the past two days, Bobrovsky will prepare to hit the open market Wednesday and join his fourth franchise as he heads into his 17th season.
Free Agency Notes: Marchment, Mikheyev, Bobrovsky, Glendening
Back in February, a few months after acquiring him, the Columbus Blue Jackets pivoted toward signing Mason Marchment to an extension, rather than trading him at the deadline. However, an extension was never agreed to, and Marchment is expected to reach free agency in one week, where he will likely have a very robust market.
According to TSN’s Pierre LeBrun, several teams will be interested in signing Marchment should he reach free agency on July 1st. However, LeBrun added that the Blue Jackets are still holding out hope they can sign him to an extension, with an 11th-hour final push on the horizon.
It was a tale of two seasons for Marchment. The 31-year-old winger struggled with the Seattle Kraken, scoring four goals and 13 points in 29 games. However, after the Kraken traded him to the Blue Jackets, he went on a tear, registering 15 goals and 32 points in 39 contests to close out the regular season. There’s little expectation that Marchment will continue to be a point-per-game player, but he has proven to be a quality secondary scorer for the past five years, and would be one of the better forward options on the free agent market.
Additional free agency notes:
- It’s been known for the last few weeks that winger Ilya Mikheyev would not be signing an extension with the Chicago Blackhawks. The Blackhawks pivoted toward shopping Mikheyev’s signing rights to interested parties, but it turns out they didn’t get much traction there, either. According to Ben Pope of the Chicago Sun-Times, Chicago is preparing to lose Mikheyev on the market for nothing next Wednesday. The middle-six forward has spent the past two years with the Blackhawks, scoring 38 goals and 70 points in 157 games with a +6 rating, averaging 16:32 of ice time per game.
- According to George Richards of Florida Hockey Now, General Manager Bill Zito hasn’t closed the door on signing netminder Sergei Bobrovsky to one last contract. Florida is in a similar situation to last offseason, when they were set to lose one of three key players in Sam Bennett, Brad Marchand, or Aaron Ekblad. Somehow, the Panthers managed to keep all three. However, the situation is far different with Bobrovsky, who is nearly 38 years old, coming off the worst season of his professional career, and is reportedly seeking a six- to seven-year deal in the $42MM range.
- Although he’s not a huge priority for the Philadelphia Flyers, Kevin Kurz of The Athletic reported that the team is interested in retaining veteran center Luke Glendening for the 2026-27 season. Glendening, 37, played admirably for the Flyers after they claimed him off waivers at last year’s deadline, scoring two goals and five points in 18 regular-season contests, with another goal through 10 games in the postseason.
Morning Notes: Sabres, Bobrovsky, Wright
The Buffalo Sabres are seeing developments among their big-name players whose names are among the headlines.
Darren Dreger of TSN reports that Sabres defenseman Bowen Byram remains a hot commodity among trade scenarios. The 25-year-old left defenseman is entering the second year of a two-year deal at $6.25MM AAV. He finished his 2025-26 season scoring 42 points in 82 games, adding 7 points in Buffalo’s 13 playoff games. The former Stanley Cup Champion with the Colorado Avalanche has expressed his yearning to remain in a cup-contending market, which would play a factor in his decision of where to go, and Sabres GM Jarmo Kekalainen wants to keep him long-term. A projection of 7-years at $9.5MM from AFPAnalytics is where the value is, but the question is whether Byram wants to ride the wagon or hop off.
Amid the Alex Tuch talk, Buffalo has also circled back on him, according to Dreger. Darren Raddysh off the board makes Tuch the highest scoring free agent set for the market on July 1, as he scored 66 points making just $4.75MM this past season. If the Sabres want to keep their hometown guy, who brings a blend of power, speed, and goal scoring around, they’ll have to accommodate him handsomely, perhaps in the double digits of AAV. If that falls through, Bowen Byram’s trade value might need to be presentable for the return of a top-six forward the Sabres would need to replace.
Additional Notes:
- According to Elliotte Friedman on 32 Thoughts, Sergei Bobrovsky‘s familiarity with a few Maple Leafs might give him an incentive to join forces in Toronto. Friedman said that Leafs GM John Chayka isn’t done with his big moves, while referring to recent acquisition Samuel Errson as unlikely to be signed, he named Bobrovsky as a possibility. Goaltender Anthony Stolarz and forward Steven Lorentz, two former teammates who know him extremely well, might be factors in making the 37-year-old Russian join up in Toronto. The benefit for the Leafs and their situation is that they have the $18MM in space to spend on the two-time Stanley Cup champion who posted a Panthers-worst .877 save percentage and 3.07 goals-against average in 52 games last year.
- According to David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period, the Seattle Kraken are continuing to rack up their screen time on the phone with other league GMs. After dealing for forward Mackie Samoskevich and signing forward Bobby McMann to a six-year extension, Jason Botterill is evaluating the future of former fourth overall pick Shane Wright, who enters the final year of his entry-level contract that pays him $886K annually. The Kraken have $22MM in cap space this summer and have many angles to approach with their 22-year-old center, who scored 27 points in 2025-26 after a career high 44 points the year before.
Panthers Want To Extend Sergei Bobrovsky, A.J. Greer
Leading up to the deadline, it was believed that the Florida Panthers were shopping pending unrestricted free agents Sergei Bobrovsky and A.J. Greer. Ultimately, neither player was moved, and the Panthers appear intent on keeping them in Sunrise for a while longer.
According to TSN’s Pierre LeBrun, Florida is focused on signing Bobrovsky to an extension. LeBrun later added that the same is true for Greer. Both should be doable since the Panthers will have roughly $15MM in cap space this summer with all of their core retained. The only hangup could be Mackie Samoskevich‘s next contract, as he will become a restricted free agent in a few months.
It’s not entirely known what Bobrovsky’s asking price is for his next contract, but it’ll certainly be lower than his current $10MM AAV. Furthermore, he’s on the wrong side of 30 and will be coming off the worst season of his professional career.
Granted, Bobrovsky has backstopped Florida to three consecutive trips to the Stanley Cup Final and has won the last two. Still, this season, he has managed a 22-19-1 record in 43 games with a .873 SV% and 3.13 GAA. Additionally, his -0.382 Goals Saved Above Expected per 60 is the fourth-worst in the league among netminders that have played in 30 or more contests.
If the Panthers can get Bobrovsky on a two-to-three-year deal, they’ll likely be able to agree with Bobrovsky relatively quickly. Some outlets have indicated that Bobrovsky is seeking a five-year deal, which could be the reason that the two sides haven’t arranged anything sooner.
Meanwhile, unlike Bobrovsky, Greer is enjoying the best season of his career. Over the past two years with Florida, Greer has scored 17 goals and accumulated 39 points in 142 games, along with 381 hits. It’s not a groundbreaking production by any stretch, but Greer offers immense physicality and timely goal-scoring from the fourth line.
Unfortunately, his productivity likely means that the Panthers won’t be able to extend him on a similar salary. Greer is earning an $850K salary this season and is likely seeking to cash in while he can. Still, even if he is expected to sign a larger contract, his salary shouldn’t be more than $2MM.
Panthers Listening On Sergei Bobrovsky, A.J. Greer
The Panthers’ resounding 5-1 loss to the Devils last night dropped them to 14th in the Eastern Conference and 10 points out of a playoff spot, leaving their postseason chances at just 0.5%. That’s led them to broadcast to the league this morning that their pending UFAs are available for sale as rentals – most notably future Hall-of-Fame goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, per Pierre LeBrun of TSN. Depth forwards A.J. Greer, Tomáš Nosek, defenseman Jeff Petry, and backup netminder Daniil Tarasov are the Cats’ other soon-to-be free agents on the active roster, although LeBrun only mentioned Greer by name.
It’s a stunning but prudent reversal from the back-to-back Stanley Cup champions, who have simply been too hampered by injuries this season to make a fourth straight run to the Final, even if they did manage to squeak into a wild-card spot. While Bobrovsky is one of the more decorated netminders of this era with a pair of Vezinas, Cups, and All-Star nods each, he hasn’t done much to drag his club along, either.
He’s still their clear-cut starter in terms of usage, starting 42 games compared to Tarasov’s 19, and has a superior winning percentage to his #2 option. Tarasov has better individual statistics across the board, though, and Bobrovsky has been a bottom-five starting option by most every measure. Among the 33 goalies with at least 28 games played, Bobrovsky ranks 29th in goals against average (3.13), 32nd in save percentage (.873), and 31st in goals saved above expected (-15.9, per MoneyPuck).
That’s led to a reported gap in extension talks between the Cats and the man who backstopped them to their first two championships in franchise history. If Florida were still in any sort of playoff contention, that wouldn’t matter; they’d keep him in the fold and hope to work out a deal after the season ended. But with Bobrovsky now in his age-37 season with a career-worst showing, the Panthers are likely opening themselves up to the idea of parting ways with Bobrovsky this year, one way or another. With little hope of a postseason berth, they might as well get something for him.
This is all assuming there’s a market for goaltending help at the deadline at all. The Blues are also making similarly struggling starter Jordan Binnington available, saturating an already slim list of teams that may have a want or need for either. ESPN’s Emily Kaplan reported this morning that “many people I talk to around the league are skeptical that Bobrovsky would be traded, even as the Panthers fall out of the playoff race,” due in part to no team making a documented, aggressive push for a goalie so far.
Perhaps Greer, more typical trade deadline fourth-line rental fodder in line with the Wild picking up Michael McCarron and the Knights landing Cole Smith from the Predators last night, is a far more likely name to be on the move. The 29-year-old is a career enforcer type but has seen an elevation in ice time this season with all of Florida’s forward injuries. He’s responded with a career year, netting 11 goals and 22 points in 61 games with a 14.1% shooting rate and 159 hits.
Considering Nashville just netted a second-round pick for McCarron, who’s posted far less impressive offensive impacts this season but does carry added value as a strong-on-draws center, the Panthers could be in line to land a similar pick for Greer. Nosek just came off LTIR to make his season debut after a lengthy recovery period from knee surgery, so he won’t be landing anything above a mid-to-late-round selection if there’s even any interest. Petry’s struggled with just eight assists and a -10 rating in 58 outings this season, but should have a few callers, simply by virtue of him being a right-shot D-man with over 1,000 games of NHL experience.
As for Tarasov, it would be surprising to see him moved. The Cats are presumably focusing on an extension with him, potentially even making him their starting option next season in the increasingly likely event Bobrovsky isn’t brought back. That’s especially amid a weak free agent class, in which Tarasov’s .903 SV% this season leads the pack among goalies with double-digit starts.
Panthers Recall Mackie Samoskevich, Re-Assign Chris Driedger To AHL
12/6: According to a team announcement, Florida reversed the swap before tomorrow’s contests against the San Jose Sharks. The news also means netminder Sergei Bobrovsky has returned from his personal leave.
12/2: The Panthers have made a pair of roster moves heading into tomorrow’s game against Pittsburgh. The team announced (Twitter link) that goaltender Chris Driedger has been recalled from AHL Charlotte while winger Mackie Samoskevich has been re-assigned to the Checkers.
This is expected to be a short-term move for both players. Veteran goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky did not accompany the team on the road with his wife expecting to give birth to their second child in the near future. Because Florida doesn’t have enough cap space to recall Driedger outright, Samoskevich, their lone waiver-exempt player, is the roster casualty to allow the team to remain cap-compliant.
Driedger rejoined Florida back in the summer, inking a one-year, one-way deal worth $795K to serve as their third-string option behind Bobrovsky and Spencer Knight. The 30-year-old has played in eight games with the Checkers so far this season, putting up a 3.22 GAA with a .885 SV%. Driedger has 67 career NHL appearances under his belt (35 of which came in his first stint with the team), posting a 2.45 GAA with a .917 SV%.
As for Samoskevich, the 22-year-old is doing well in his first full NHL season. He has played in 22 games with the Panthers so far, notching five goals and four assists while averaging 11:35 per game. His nine points put him in the top ten in scoring among all NHL rookies. Charlotte is off until Friday so there’s a good chance Samoskevich won’t even suit up in the minors while on assignment given that he’s likely to be brought back up by the weekend.
Atlantic Notes: Dahlin, Samuelsson, Bobrovsky
There will be a glaring hole on the Buffalo Sabres’ blue line tonight. Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News reported earlier that defenseman Rasmus Dahlin won’t play for the Sabres tonight without adding any context regarding an injury.
Lysowski’s update was relatively vague aside from the update that Dahlin wouldn’t be in the lineup. He added a note from head coach Lindy Ruff who claimed it’s expected to be a short-term absence for the team’s best defenseman but “you never know.” It’s not exactly something that strikes confidence in the idea that Dahlin will return soon.
Buffalo’s captain has become irreplaceable for the organization as he sits third on the team in scoring with six goals and 19 points in 25 games. The Sabres will have a tough time keeping up with a surgical Winnipeg offense tonight with their best defenseman. He’s the only blue liner on the roster with an expected +/- higher than 0.
Other Atlantic notes:
- There’s at least one positive development for Buffalo’s blue line as Lysowski also shared that defenseman Mattias Samuelsson is close to returning from his lower-body injury. It’s been nearly a month since Samuelsson last suited up for the Sabres and the team is hoping to get him a few more practices before activating him from the injured reserve. They’ll need him to be better once he does return as Samuelsson has only managed an 83.2% on-ice save percentage in all situations, far beneath his career average.
- It’ll still be a few days before Sergei Bobrovsky returns to the Florida Panthers. Katie Engleson of Scripps Sports reported the Panthers are hopeful Bobrovsky returns on Saturday against the San Jose Sharks but they’re prepared if he can’t. He’s currently on personal leave from the team as he and his wife, Olga, recently welcomed their second child.
Snapshots: Bobrovsky, Ekblad, Nugent-Hopkins, Smith
Florida Panthers fans are breathing a big sigh of relief this morning, with both star defender Aaron Ekblad and Vezina-finalist goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky good to go after missing the team’s Sunday morning practice, per Colby Guy of Florida Hockey Now (Twitter link). Neither player were limited in the team’s Game 6 loss – with Bobrovsky facing 19 shots and Ekblad playing 21:37 in ice time – suggesting that their absences were merely for maintenance. Still, every update matters as the Panthers look to skid three straight losses in the Stanley Cup Finals. The Edmonton Oilers have outscored Florida 18-t0-5 over that stretch, with Bobrovsky posting a collective 0.793 save percentage. The Panthers will now return home for a winner-takes-all Game 7, seemingly still at full strength.
Other quick notes from around the league:
- In the name of fairness, the Oilers are facing an injury scare of their own, with former-100 point forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins missing the team’s Sunday practice with illness, per Jim Matheson of NHL.com (Twitter link). Nugent-Hopkins has been one of Edmonton’s top contributors this postseason, recording 22 points in 24 playoff games. That includes two points in Edmonton’s three-game win-streak – so far his only scoring in the Stanley Cup Finals. Nugent-Hopkins would leave a major role vacant should he be unavailable for Game 7, though there’s been no indication that Edmonton is expecting him to sit.
- Pittsburgh Penguins winger Reilly Smith has changed agencies ahead of the final year of his contract, now represented by CAA Hockey, per PuckPedia (Twitter link). CAA is the choice agency of many NHL stars, including Sidney Crosby, Matthew Beniers, Mathew Barzal, and Cole Caufield. It’s also the agency most akin to changing scenery – representing the recently-traded Pierre-Luc Dubois, rumored trade chip Rutger McGroarty, and hardened trade rumor veteran Jack Eichel. Smith takes on the new representation while looking to vindicate his final year at a $5MM price tag, though his 13 goals and 40 points last season fell short of expecations.
Poll: Who Will Win The 2024 Conn Smythe Trophy?
The Edmonton Oilers have finally punched back in the Stanley Cup Finals, landing the uppercut of an 8-1 win to push off the announcement of a Stanley Cup champion for at least one more game. It was just the ninth time that a team has scored eight or more goals in the Stanley Cup Finals – a loss that stings a little extra for the Panthers, who also allowed the Vegas Golden Knights to score a record-setting nine goals in last year’s Cup-clinching Game 5. Edmonton achieved the feat on the back of a historic performance from superstar Connor McDavid who, with three assists in Game 4, reached 32 assists to break Wayne Gretzky‘s record for assists in a single postseason. McDavid’s record-breaking performance, as well as Sergei Bobrovsky‘s Cup Finals benching, throws a major wrench into the list of Conn Smythe Trophy candidates, regardless of the Cup winner.
In a debate between a stifling McDavid and a struggling Bobrovsky, it seems Aleksander Barkov would be the de facto beneficiary. Barkov – the reigning Selke Trophy winner – has closely shadowed McDavid for most of the Cup finals so far, doing as well as any player could to keep McDavid close before Florida’s breakdown in Game 4. Barkov has added four points in four Cup finals games as well, bringing his postseason totals up to a team-leading 21 points in 21 games. Barkov has been perhaps the biggest piece of Florida’s success both this postseason and across the last few seasons as a whole. Barkov has shown elite two-way ability throughout this postseason, likely earning him a spot above any other Panthers skater in the Conn Smythe debate. But there’s no arguing the hefty impact Bobrovsky has brought to these playoffs. He was boasting a .916 save percentage through 20 games before his abhorrent Game 4, when he allowed five goals on just 17 shots. Bobrovsky is also a finalist for the Vezina Trophy and could cement a ‘Hall of Fame’ legacy with a win of both the Vezina and the Cup.
Of course, the Oilers boast two prime Conn Smythe candidates of their own in McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. Florida is just three periods away from a Stanley Cup win, while the Oilers will need at least nine, significantly hampering Edmonton’s chance of taking home playoff MVP. After all, a member of the losing team hasn’t won a Conn Smythe since Jean-Sebastien Giguere in 2003. But McDavid’s rivaling – and likely soon topping – of 40 playoff points could be enough to warrant the nod. That feat has only been managed by two other players – three times by Gretzky and once by Mario Lemieux. Crossing 40 points has resulted in a Conn Smythe win in three of those four cases, though Gretzky lost the 1993 trophy to Patrick Roy. If not McDavid to buck the trend, then Draisaitl is certainly a strong candidate – boasting 30 points in 22 playoff games and willing the Oilers through the first two rounds with unprecedented scoring.
The list of Conn Smythe candidates has come down to just a few, though who could take home the hardware seems up in the air after a shocking Game 4. And while the decision will, of course, lean on which team wins – it could also come down to deciding between history and precedent. So, with finalists in mind, who do you think will take home the Conn Smythe Trophy? Tell us in the poll below, and discuss in the comments.
Who Will Win The 2024 Conn Smythe Trophy?
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Sergei Bobrovsky 49% (407)
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Aleksander Barkov 27% (220)
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Connor McDavid 23% (191)
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Leon Draisaitl 1% (5)
Total votes: 829
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