In a big development, Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky is all but done with the franchise if NHL insider Elliotte Friedman is to be believed.

NHL Rumour Report on X alluded to Friedman of Sportsnet talking on the recent NHL Tonight show on the NHL Network about Bobrovsky and the Panthers situation.

“Elliotte Friedman: Re Panthers: I've heard it's unlikely that Sergei Bobrovsky is going to be back  - NHL Tonight (6/21),” read their post on X.

Notably, the 37-year-old Russian had a seven-year contract worth $70 million with the Panthers, which officially expired at the end of last season. It was signed in July 2019 at $10 million average annual value (AAV), and he went on to fulfill it in its entirety.

But with no new deal in sight between him and the Panthers, Bobrovsky is set to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1 this year.

In his report published in Sportsnet recently, Nick Kypreos wrote about Bobrovsky wanting a massive $42 million contract over six or seven years from the Panthers.

But the Panthers apparently didn’t agree to Bobrovsky’s demands because of his age, in all likelihood. He is going to be 38 years of age on September 20 of this year, which might have put off the Panthers from giving him an elongated deal for such money.

The goaltenders in the NHL are known to play into their 40s, more so than the other types of players. But it doesn’t really mean that they can demand a massive contract like in their 20s or 30s, which coincides with the prime years of their playing career.

It can easily apply in the case of Bobrovsky, despite him being one of the finest goalkeepers in the NHL. He has won the Vezina Trophy for the best goaltender twice in 2013 and 2017 with the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Bobrovsky also played a key role in winning the back-to-back Stanley Cups with the Panthers in 2024 and 2025.

Sergei Bobrovsky gets linked with Toronto Maple Leafs for a move

In case Sergei Bobrovsky doesn’t return to the Florida Panthers, he is too good a goaltender not to court new suitors and continue playing in the NHL. While speaking on the 32 Thoughts: The Podcast from Sportsnet, NHL insider Elliotte Friedman named one of those suitors on Monday, June 22.

On this morning’s edition of the aforementioned podcast, Friedman mentioned that the Toronto Maple Leafs could be interested in signing Bobrovsky.

“ I think they’re looking in goal,” Friedman said, per The Leafs Nation report on their website. “Bobrovsky. Don't forget Anthony Stolarz won a Stanley Cup backing up Bobrovsky. Nobody knows him better. And Steve Lorentz was Bobrovsky’s shooter,  he’s Bobrovsky’s guy.”

 “He will always be loyal to Bobrovsky because Bobrovsky kept him in the NHL ’cause he would go shoot on him every morning.”

NHL insider basically alluded to Bobrovsky’s relationship with goaltender Anthony Stolarz and forward Steve Lorentz. While Stolarz was a backup goalie to him when the Panthers won the Stanley Cup in the 2023-24 season, he made sure Lorentz had a role there in offense.

After that, in the summer of 2024, Stolarz and Lorentz became unrestricted free agents before signing with the Maple Leafs and improving further as players in Toronto. Their relationship could help Maple Leafs GM John Chayka to court him as a free agent in the summer.

If Bobrovsky joins Toronto, he will bring experience of 806 games with a 456-266-58 record to his name. He played for the Philadelphia Flyers and the Columbus Blue Jackets apart from the Panthers, registering a .912 overall save percentage and 2.61 goals-against average.

Will the Toronto Maple Leafs be able to sign goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky ahead of the 2026-27 season? Tell us your thoughts in the comments.

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Written by

Arjun Sharma

Edited by

Kaamna Dwivedi