The Florida Panthers acquired the goaltender, Akira Schmid, from the Vegas Golden Knights on Monday. They made this addition all while the future of Sergei Bobrovsky is still undecided. 

Florida sent their 2028 third-round pick to Vegas for Schmid, who is a restricted free agent. The trade took place at the same time as Bobrovsky was set to become an unrestricted free agent on July 1. 

The Panthers' official account on X confirmed the news on June 29.

Bobrovsky's contract situation is a major deal for the team right now. He backstopped the Panthers to back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 2024 and 2025. 

This was highlighted by NHL Insider David Pagnotta on the June 27 episode of the NHL Network.

"It looks like Sergei Bobrovsky is gonna be leaving for free agency," he said.

He is about to turn 38 before the next season starts, and it is reported that his price is steep. According to Sportsnet's Nick Kypreos, Bobrovsky is looking for a deal worth around $42 million over six or seven years.

But as Bobrovsky and the Panthers have still not discussed an extension, he would be reaching free agency if one of the sides doesn't compromise. This uncertainty is due to his performance last season, which was the worst of his sixteen-year NHL career. He made 27-23-1 with a 3.07 goals-against average, an .877 save percentage, and four shutouts.

This setback is further set by their tight salary cap and the Panthers' missing the playoffs entirely in 2026. This was right after they made three consecutive trips to the Stanley Cup Finals.

Florida currently doesn't have a goaltender with NHL experience who’s set to stay beyond this summer. Bobrovsky, Daniil Tarasov, and Louis Domingue are all going to hit free agency on July 1. 

It is because of all this that Florida ended up acquiring Schmid from Vegas. Although Bobrovsky's situation isn’t resolved, it does ensure that there’s another goaltender on hand.

Schmid adds goaltending depth

They acquired Schmid from the Golden Knights for a 2028 third-round pick. Vegas even gave Schmid a qualifying offer earlier that same day before sending him to Florida.

Schmid led Vegas with 16 wins just in this past season as the Golden Knights worked with four different goaltenders. He was a reliable player during the team's run to the Stanley Cup Final. 

Over the last two seasons, Schmid has appeared in 39 games with the Golden Knights, registering a .898 save percentage and a 2.45 goals-against average. During the 2025-26 campaign, he handled a career-high workload, playing in 34 games and posting two shutouts while serving as a dependable option in goal.

His most recent contract with Vegas was a two-year deal, which was worth $875,000 annually, according to Spotrac.

For the Panthers, even if he is not a direct replacement for Bobrovsky, he gives Florida a young, NHL-tested option before the next season.

What do you think of the Panthers' move? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Aadhya Nalla

Edited by

Soheli Tarafdar