Insider Thinks Panthers Have To Extend Bobrovsky By Summer

The Florida Panthers have won back-to-back Stanley Cups with a very well-built team. Many players who come to Florida tend to elevate their game due to the culture, coaching, or something else. Sergei Bobrovsky was no different, except he was already an elite goalie by the time he got to Florida.

Bobrovsky had won the Vezina Trophy for the best goalie in the league two times with the Columbus Blue Jackets before joining the Panthers at 31 years old in 2019-20. He has put up solid numbers in the regular season since signing a big contract with the Panthers, but it's when the playoffs roll around that he takes his game to a whole new level.

The Panthers likely wouldn't have won the Stanley Cup without Bobrovsky in net to play like a top goaltender in the world, so they cannot easily let that go, even at age 37 and on the last year of his deal. Elliotte Friedman spoke on this and said, "He's the anchor. You've gotta think there's a deal to be made there."

The Panthers had Spencer Knight as the replacement for Bobrovsky after he hung up the skates, but by trading him to the Chicago Blackhawks to be the starter there, the team has had to find another solution. Daniil Tarasov was the offseason acquisition in net, and it's more of a long shot that the acquisition will pan out in the most ideal way. The Panthers will still have to be on the lookout for their future, even if Bobrovsky is re-signed.

At his age, even with the success, Bobrovsky isn't going to demand $10 million AAV on his next short-term deal, if he plans to still play. Rather, the Panthers will get another team-friendly deal signed so they can keep their championship-winning team together. Tax-free states are nice when a team is as good as the Panthers are. The Panthers shouldn't have anything to worry about in net just yet, but that day could come sooner than expected.