Report: Hurricanes Tried To Acquire Sergei Bobrovsky At Trade Deadline

Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky

The Carolina Hurricanes are two wins away from a Stanley Cup. They've gotten some terrific performances between the pipes in these playoffs from Frederik Andersen (at least through the first three rounds), and now Brandon Bussi for the last game-and-a-half in the Final.

But the Canes' goaltending situation could have been a whole lot different if they had been able to convince the Florida Panthers to deal them pending unrestricted free agent Sergei Bobrovsky. Insider Pierre LeBrun says those talks were had:

The Hurricanes, league sources confirm, talked to Florida about Sergei Bobrovsky (at the trade deadline), but the Panthers weren’t going to give away the two-time Stanley Cup champion. Florida was willing to move him but Carolina would have needed to part with at least a second-round pick in my opinion...
My understanding is that Florida asked for a first-round pick at the outset, which Carolina was never going to pay. The Canes might have been interested at a lower price but both teams didn’t circle back to each other after their last discussion.

Even now, after Andersen's 12-1 record and .931 save percentage through the first three rounds, and Bussi's mostly solid play thus far (heading into Thursday night's Game 5), there are still questions if that duo has what it takes in this hard-fought series.

LeBrun spoke to a rival NHL goalie coach who offered these ominous words for Carolina fans:

“I don’t think their goaltending is good enough to close the deal and win it all,” an NHL goalie coach, who requested anonymity in order to speak freely about another team, told The Athletic via text message Tuesday night. “Freddy has done a very good job and made some big saves at key moments, but Carolina has been the driver. I see him more as a piece of the machine than the reason it’s been successful.

“Bussi has won a lot of games there, but I still see some significant exposures in his game... I think there are real limitations at the position. If Carolina wins, I see it happening because they’re an outstanding team that gets serviceable goaltending — not because their goalies carry them across the finish line.”

That 'finish line' is now in sight. But it'll take two more wins over the Vegas Golden Knights in what is fast becoming one of the wildest, most memorable Stanley Cup Finals in recent memory.

Could the Canes revisit the Bobrovsky talks this offseason if they don't get it done? The pending UFA is still reportedly not close to an agreement on an extension with the Panthers.