The Toronto Maple Leafs are going to be active players in what should be one of the wildest NHL offseasons in recent memory. And according to a recent report, they're shopping big for some help in the crease.
After the trade that sent Joseph Woll to the Philadelphia Flyers, the Leafs' goaltending tandem felt solidified in Anthony Stolarz and Dennis Hildeby. But, looking at that now, it does have its risks. Stolarz is not dependable at all to go through a season without an injury, and then to hand the reins over to a tandem of Hildeby and Artur Akhtyamov feels insanely risky for a team trying to make it back into the playoffs.
So, they might just go out and sign a legendary netminder on the open market.
Elliotte Friedman links Sergei Bobrovsky to the Maple Leafs
According to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, there is a real possibility that Sergei Bobrovsky signs with the Maple Leafs in free agency. The Russian netminder will turn 38 years old before next season starts, but as he heads into unrestricted free agency after his massive contract with the Florida Panthers has expired, he may be looking up north for his next opportunity.
When talking about the potential plans the Leafs have in the near future, Friedman landed on the crease and them potentially signing Bobrovsky.
"I think they're looking in goal. Binnington, if he's available, they'll check it. Hellebuyck, I don't know that it's likely, but they'll check it. Bobrovsky -- don't forget Anthony Stolarz won a Stanley Cup backing up Bobrovksy. Nobody knows him better and Steven Lorentz was Bobrovsky's shooter. He's Bobrovsky's guy. He will always be loyal to Bobrovsky because Bobrovsky kept him in the NHL because he would go shoot on him every morning. So, there's two guys who know him extremely well.
"It wouldn't shock me if he ended up being their guy potentially. And again, if they do that, it's another guy who won't cost you anything but money and that's kind of the way they look at it."
So, yeah. There are two former Panthers on the Leafs roster right now who do have very strong connections to Bobrovsky, so there might not be an issue with him coming up to Canada, unlike every other big name who wants to leave apparently.
And the thought process is right there. Just like signing Darren Raddysh to a big ticket, general manager John Chayka could see it as solving a problem without needing to give up a prospect or good draft picks -- two things they don't have a lot of.
Bobrovsky could want something of a long-term deal paying him good money, and the Leafs could be fine with it. With roughly $18.7 million in cap space right now, and the possibility of them trading big-ticket players like Morgan Rielly (or Matthew Knies) out, that could free up even more room to bring in Bobrovsky and solidify their crease a little bit.
The 37-year-old earned a very poor .877 save percentage and 3.07 goals against average last season in 52 games, but the Panthers were also just so bad overall. The season prior, Bobrovsky had a .905 save percentage and the year before that, it was a .915. There isn't too much of a concern of him completely dropping off, but if he puts in a couple good seasons in Toronto and then has to basically go on LTIR for the rest of his career? It shouldn't be all that bad.
This seems like a real possibility.
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