Sergei Bobrovsky has become the biggest question for the Florida Panthers this offseason. The team still wants him back as a pending unrestricted free agent. 

According to a report from the NHL Insider, Nick Kypreos, Florida remains committed to getting back their veteran goaltender, but the Panthers might have to start looking for other replacement options if the asking price does not come down. 

Bobrovsky has been significant to Florida’s rise in recent years. He became the second goalie in Florida history with a 50-save performance. The club now has to balance their cap space and long-term planning.

Florida’s position has been steady for the last few months. Even when there were trade rumours before the deadline, the Panthers chose to keep Bobrovsky rather than move him away. And now they shifted to try to make a new deal with him.

General manager Bill Zito, too, has admitted that Bobrovsky is part of the franchise’s core and that the team wants to keep him.

“He has meant quite a bit," Zito said. "The work ethic is infamous, the professionalism, the leadership. If you have occasion to meet him, he is a wonderful human being with a great sense of humor, a very funny guy, and a good, caring, considerate teammate.’’

Florida Hockey Now reported that Bobrovsky and the Panthers were distant on both money and other terms. The deal can only work out if both sides want only one.

Bobrovsky has been with the Panthers since 2019, when he signed a seven-year, $70 million contract. Florida has continued to treat him as a major part of the group even during his setbacks this year.

Per ESPN’s March report, this season has been the worst statistical season of Bobrovsky's 16-year career, holding a .873 save percentage.

If the negotiations still continue to stall, Florida may have to start looking at other options in the league. The free-agent market is thin, and any major replacement will only have to come through a trade.

Hurricanes Once Explored a Bobrovsky Deal

Earlier, the Carolina Hurricanes tried to have a trade talk. This was before the 2026 NHL trade deadline. The Hurricanes reportedly looked for a deal with two-time Stanley Cup champion, Bobrovsky while looking to add more strength in net. 

Pierre LeBrun reported that the two Stanley Cup contenders have had their talks, but the price kept going up.

“Yes, despite having a chance at Sergei Bobrovsky at the trade deadline (the original asking price was a first-round pick, which Carolina would have never paid), [Eric] Tulsky was vindicated in the end," LeBrun wrote.

This gives us a clearer picture of how highly Bobrovsky was considered around the league, even after going through a rough season.

For now, the situation with Bobrovsky remains the Panthers’ priority.

Will Bobrovsky and the Panthers be able to find a middle ground? Let us know in the comments.

Read more at NHL Fan Central.

Written by

Aadhya Nalla

Edited by

Soheli Tarafdar