Florida's Matthew Tkachuk made it known how important Sergei Bobrovsky was for the Panthers which is incredible news now that he's part of the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Since being part of the Florida Panthers organization since the 2019-2020 season, Sergei Bobrovsky has proven to be one of the most reliable, durable, and impressive goaltenders on the planet.
Although his two Vezina Trophies came earlier in his career with Columbus, Florida did come with back-to-back Stanley Cup wins, and it basically cemented Bobrovsky as the playoff king and someone who consistently steps up when the spotlight's the biggest.
But after spending those seven seasons in Florida, he's moved onto different pastures and signed a three-year, $21-million deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs this past offseason. After being the thorn in their side twice in the postseason, he switched gears and looks to be the leader in net they've sought out for decades.
Bobrovsky personally ended two of Toronto's seasons and now will try to protect them
Bobrovsky, though older, is going to e imperative for Toronto to succeed in the playoffs, and if anyone can lead them through the tough times it's the Russian. But others also know how important he is, and for Matthew Tkachuk - he knows exactly what the Maple Leafs are getting.
Appearing on his Wingmen Podcast, Tkachuk had nothing but the highest praise for the now-Leafs goalie, and explained how he was the backbone of their Cup runs:
The backbone. Obviously, all of our lives have changed forever since the Cups. Our lives would have been the exact same, we wouldn't have won without him. He was the guy, the guy you relied on, the guy that if you were playing bad, you knew he would be great.
He kept us in so many games that we didn't deserve to be in, and he won us a lot of games that we didn't deserve to win. Just an outstanding teammate. I'm going to miss him a ton.
He's not wrong, as Bobrovsky recorded a 32-15 record over Florida's two Stanley Cup wins, while posting a 2.26 GAA and .910 SV% with five shutouts. Add onto that his 201 wins in the regular season and .567 QS% (quality start percentage) - he's been no doubt the anchor in the crease.
But he was insane against Toronto in 2023 where he had a .943 SV% and went 4-1-0 meanwhile in 2025 - their best shot - he went 4-3-0 with a .902 SV%. He proved he was human but the Maple Leafs didn't exactly capitalize after putting him against the ropes and there's a reason he moved onto the Cup and they didn't.
What Toronto is banking on when the games matter
The regular season is pretty much a forgone conclusion from Bobrovsky as to what you can come to expect. 50+ starts, a sub-3.00 GAA, strong work ethic, a tireless engine, and someone who will make getting to the playoffs easier.
But then when they come kicking, that's when he turns it into high gear and the main reason Toronto signed the soon-to-be 38-year-old.
Bobrovsky has proven that he is a great leader and someone you can trust to step up when things matter. He has a 9-4-0 record in Game 5's as well as a 2-0 record in his only Game 7's - one that eliminated Toronto and one that won Florida the Cup.
He's the antidote to the cursed Maple Leafs' playoff woes and if you have a goaltender who is able to come up in the clutch, then when the stars don't pull their weight 100% you can still succeed in spite of that simply based on a star goalie shutting it down.
The old adage in history is that 'if you can't beat 'em, join 'em,' but Bobrovsky already beat Toronto twice so it may not apply. But as Toronto goes to battle for success there is one quote that sums it up perfectly.
'It's not stealing, it's a tactical acquisition,' and that's exactly what John Chayka did when he brought Sergei Bobrovsky in from the Sunshine State into hockey's capital.
Do you think Toronto stole the 'backbone' of the Florida Panthers?
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