The Toronto Maple Leafs could surprise everyone and make a signing that would turn their goaltending situation on its head - Sergei Bobrovsky.
It's been rumoured that the Florida Panthers and Sergei Bobrovsky are not on the same page and the soon to be 38-year old goaltender could be headed to free agency. Even though the Maple Leafs traded Joseph Woll, they could surprise everyone and bring an old nemesis in to sort out the crease.
According to Nick Kypreos, there is a feeling that Bobrovsky's extension price could reach somewhere between $36 to $42-million dollars stretched out over six or seven years ($6M AAV):
Speaking of the Panthers, they remain focused on re-signing pending UFA Sergei Bobrovsky, but they may have to start considering who his potential replacement might be if his extremely high demand on an extension doesn't come down.
There are some suggestions that his ask is as high as $42 million over six or seven years. Bobrovsky will turn 38 years old in September.
Sergei Bobrovsky is a proven Cup-winning goalie with two Vezinas and a whole whack of playoff experience
That amount of money for a goaltender who is reaching his 40s is a lot of money for sure, and the Panthers aren't exactly swimming with cash, so if the deal isn't suitable for both sides - he could be looking for a home elsewhere.
While there are several teams who would love the two-time Stanley Cup Champion however as odd as it is, one of those teams could be the Toronto Maple Leafs even though they just traded away one of their goaltenders.
Bobrovsky dealt with injuries this past season, and put together a 27-23-1 record with a 3.07 GAA and a .877 SV% which is a far cry from the stud he'd been in previous season. He had a combined 132-63-12 record over the past four seasons with a 2.62 GAA and .909 SV% while also winning two Stanley Cups.
He also has two Vezina Trophies to his name, and is also ranked seventh all-time on the NHL's wins list with 456 sitting only four behind passing New York Rangers legend Henrik Lundquist and needs only 32 more wins to slip into the top-five and pass former Maple Leafs goalie Ed Belfour.
Why a run at Bobrovsky makes sense despite trading Joseph Woll only 48 hours ago
Crazy to say, but Bobrovsky in Toronto would be a very good fit. Not only do they get a consistently reliable goalie who really turns it on in the postseason, but they need to find a way to weaken the Panthers and this does it in spades.
How poetic would it be if Bobrovsky was the reason that Toronto pushed past Florida in the playoffs and find themselves in the Eastern Conference Finals or even the Cup Final? I know there's concerns about his age and length of the deal but it doesn't mean they have to commit to that.
Bobrovsky wants to stay in Florida for that price, but we don't know what his demands are elsewhere. He could be willing to sign for a shorter deal (two or three years) and be that goaltender in the win-now window Toronto has; and give time for Dennis Hildeby and Artur Akhtyamov to get some more seasoning.
Plus, this fits John Chayka's MO. He traded Joseph Woll and hired Jim Hiller so there's no telling where he is headed in terms of other moves. If the team wants to make a big swing, this is certainly one way to do it.
They shouldn't commit long-term to Bobrovsky because that's only going to hurt them in the future, but if they are concerned about winning with everyone now, he's pretty much the best goaltender they can get - and they know that all too well.
Do you think the Toronto Maple Leafs should try and sign Sergei Bobrovsky?
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