FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — Sergei Bobrovsky remains to be with the Florida Panthers, and the group desires to keep it that manner.
The Panthers did not commerce their two-time Stanley Cup-winning goaltender on Friday, regardless of widespread hypothesis that they might contemplate accepting provides for him. Instead, the group pivoted towards making an attempt to get a brand new deal completed with the free-agent-in-waiting.
There have been provides. None compelled the Panthers to make a transfer.
“Sergei is a part of our franchise, part of our core,” Panthers common supervisor and hockey operations president Bill Zito mentioned Friday, shortly after the league’s 3 p.m. commerce deadline handed. “And we want to try to keep him. I think with almost any player … you always listen. When the phone rings, you answer because you don’t know what could happen.”
Bobrovsky is enduring the worst statistical season of his 16-year profession, with an .873 save proportion. Of the 35 goalies who entered Friday with greater than 25 begins this season, Bobrovsky — at 37 — is the oldest of the bunch.
The Panthers do not care about any of that. They’ve been ravaged by accidents this season and are properly out of the playoff chase after three straight runs to the Stanley Cup Final. But just about all of their prime gamers — Aleksander Barkov, Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Bennett, Sam Reinhart, Aaron Ekblad, Brad Marchand, Gustav Forsling, Seth Jones, Anton Lundell, Niko Mikkola and extra — are signed for years to come, and extra playoff runs are anticipated.
Zito desires Bobrovsky to be alongside for that experience.
“I want Sergei to stay, and look forward to having him back,” Zito mentioned.
