- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 1,190,530
- Reaction score
- 59
On Wednesday, Florida Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky will officially become a free agent.
The 37-year-old’s seven-year, $70 million contract will be at its end, and one of the key pieces of the team’s 2024 and 2025 Stanley Cup Championship campaigns will likely be moving on.
General manager Bill Zito made sure not to completely shut down the idea of Bobrovsky returning to the Panthers at Brady Tkachuk’s introductory press conference Tuesday.
“Bob is a guy that has done so much for our organization, and we continue to evaluate every day,” Zito said. “There are no doors closed here ever.”
However, it appears a return would be unlikely. Retaining Bobrovsky would be expensive, and he is rumored to be seeking a long-term contract. Furthermore, the Panthers are limited in remaining cap space.
With that, the franchise is expected to keep its options open. The Panthers will have no goaltenders with NHL experience on the roster once Bobrovsky’s contract expires (backup Daniil Tarasov’s deal is also set expire), a glaring problem on an otherwise elite roster that can’t go unresolved.
Rumors have tied Florida to St. Louis Blues goalie Jordan Binnington and Winnipeg Jets standout Connor Hellebuyck — two of the most sought-after goaltenders in the league — but they both have time remaining on their current contracts, and obtaining them would require a trade.
That said, here are the top goalies (aside from Bobrovsky, who is undoubtedly the best goaltender about to enter free agency) who are or will soon be free agents and potentially available for the Panthers without a trade.
After just hoisting the Stanley Cup with the Carolina Hurricanes, Andersen’s one-year, $2.75 million contract is up.
He was first signed as a free agent by Carolina in July 2021, where he’s remained since, but spending next season with the Hurricanes is not a given. He ended the Hurricanes’ Stanley Cup push on the bench after being pulled in Game 3.
Nonetheless, the 36-year-old’s accolades speak for themselves. Across his 13 seasons in the NHL, Andersen has averaged a .913 save percentage and 2.59 goals against average. He is also the second-fastest goalie in NHL history to reach 300 wins.
Before the move to Carolina, he spent three seasons with the Anaheim Ducks and five with the Toronto Maple Leafs. He’s consistently been a solid option throughout his career, but has faltered slightly in the past two seasons, dropping below a .900 save percentage and recording the highest goals against average in his career (3.05) last season.
Despite the dip, he’s among the strongest soon-to-be available goalie and could bring the same veteran presence that Bobrovsky did in the locker room.
The youngest top option for the Panthers is Skinner. The 27-year-old was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins in December of last season, marking the first move of his NHL career after spending his first five full seasons with the Edmonton Oilers.
He’s been a primary goaltender since the 2022-23 season, bolstering the Oilers in their back-to-back Stanley Cup Final appearances in 2024 and 2025, where they fell to the Panthers.
Across his NHL career, he’s averaged a .902 save percentage and a 2.77 goals against average. While likely an expensive addition, the goaltender would give the Panthers an entirely ready-to-go starter with extensive playoff experience. A long-term contract for Skinner would also come without the same age-related concerns Florida appears to be having with Bobrovsky.
His last contract, signed with the Oilers, was a three-year, $7.8 million extension.
Another younger goalie and former Oiler is the 29-year-old Ingram. The Canadian has spent five years in the league, including stints with the Nashville Predators, Arizona Coyotes and Utah Mammouth before landing with the Oilers last season.
With Edmonton, he started 30 games with a 2.60 goals against average and a .899 save percentage. His most recent contract was a three-year, $5.85 million extension originally signed with the Coyotes.
The downside of Ingram compared to Skinner and Andersen is the lack of playoff experience. He’s played in just nine playoff games in his career compared to Skinner’s 53 and Andersen’s 101. With a team primed for another Stanley Cup run like the Panthers, a goalie with minimal postseason experience may be what makes them pass Ingram over.
Furthermore, Ingram reportedly wants to stay in Edmonton despite the organization entertaining negotiations with other free agents.
Talbot has been a consistent starter since his first season in 2013. He’s spent time with eight franchises in his career.
Last season, he posted a 3.19 goals against average and .883 save percentage, the least favorable numbers in both categories of his career when spending the entire season in the same place. Nonetheless, he is beyond seasoned and would provide another established veteran presence in the Panthers’ locker room.
However, Talbot is probably the least favorable for the Panthers of the four players mentioned due to a mix of similar age restrictions (turns 39 in beginning of July) that have been rumored to keep them from bringing back Bobrovsky and a lack of significant postseason experience. Despite his extensive experience in the NHL, he’s played in 36 playoff games and started in 34. While not to be overlooked, it still does not compare to the top two.
His most recent contract was with the Detroit Red Wings, where he spent the past two seasons. It was a two-year, $5 million deal.
Continue reading...
The 37-year-old’s seven-year, $70 million contract will be at its end, and one of the key pieces of the team’s 2024 and 2025 Stanley Cup Championship campaigns will likely be moving on.
General manager Bill Zito made sure not to completely shut down the idea of Bobrovsky returning to the Panthers at Brady Tkachuk’s introductory press conference Tuesday.
“Bob is a guy that has done so much for our organization, and we continue to evaluate every day,” Zito said. “There are no doors closed here ever.”
However, it appears a return would be unlikely. Retaining Bobrovsky would be expensive, and he is rumored to be seeking a long-term contract. Furthermore, the Panthers are limited in remaining cap space.
With that, the franchise is expected to keep its options open. The Panthers will have no goaltenders with NHL experience on the roster once Bobrovsky’s contract expires (backup Daniil Tarasov’s deal is also set expire), a glaring problem on an otherwise elite roster that can’t go unresolved.
Rumors have tied Florida to St. Louis Blues goalie Jordan Binnington and Winnipeg Jets standout Connor Hellebuyck — two of the most sought-after goaltenders in the league — but they both have time remaining on their current contracts, and obtaining them would require a trade.
That said, here are the top goalies (aside from Bobrovsky, who is undoubtedly the best goaltender about to enter free agency) who are or will soon be free agents and potentially available for the Panthers without a trade.
Frederik Andersen
After just hoisting the Stanley Cup with the Carolina Hurricanes, Andersen’s one-year, $2.75 million contract is up.
He was first signed as a free agent by Carolina in July 2021, where he’s remained since, but spending next season with the Hurricanes is not a given. He ended the Hurricanes’ Stanley Cup push on the bench after being pulled in Game 3.
Nonetheless, the 36-year-old’s accolades speak for themselves. Across his 13 seasons in the NHL, Andersen has averaged a .913 save percentage and 2.59 goals against average. He is also the second-fastest goalie in NHL history to reach 300 wins.
Before the move to Carolina, he spent three seasons with the Anaheim Ducks and five with the Toronto Maple Leafs. He’s consistently been a solid option throughout his career, but has faltered slightly in the past two seasons, dropping below a .900 save percentage and recording the highest goals against average in his career (3.05) last season.
Despite the dip, he’s among the strongest soon-to-be available goalie and could bring the same veteran presence that Bobrovsky did in the locker room.
Stuart Skinner
The youngest top option for the Panthers is Skinner. The 27-year-old was traded to the Pittsburgh Penguins in December of last season, marking the first move of his NHL career after spending his first five full seasons with the Edmonton Oilers.
He’s been a primary goaltender since the 2022-23 season, bolstering the Oilers in their back-to-back Stanley Cup Final appearances in 2024 and 2025, where they fell to the Panthers.
Across his NHL career, he’s averaged a .902 save percentage and a 2.77 goals against average. While likely an expensive addition, the goaltender would give the Panthers an entirely ready-to-go starter with extensive playoff experience. A long-term contract for Skinner would also come without the same age-related concerns Florida appears to be having with Bobrovsky.
His last contract, signed with the Oilers, was a three-year, $7.8 million extension.
Connor Ingram
Another younger goalie and former Oiler is the 29-year-old Ingram. The Canadian has spent five years in the league, including stints with the Nashville Predators, Arizona Coyotes and Utah Mammouth before landing with the Oilers last season.
With Edmonton, he started 30 games with a 2.60 goals against average and a .899 save percentage. His most recent contract was a three-year, $5.85 million extension originally signed with the Coyotes.
The downside of Ingram compared to Skinner and Andersen is the lack of playoff experience. He’s played in just nine playoff games in his career compared to Skinner’s 53 and Andersen’s 101. With a team primed for another Stanley Cup run like the Panthers, a goalie with minimal postseason experience may be what makes them pass Ingram over.
Furthermore, Ingram reportedly wants to stay in Edmonton despite the organization entertaining negotiations with other free agents.
Cam Talbot
Talbot has been a consistent starter since his first season in 2013. He’s spent time with eight franchises in his career.
Last season, he posted a 3.19 goals against average and .883 save percentage, the least favorable numbers in both categories of his career when spending the entire season in the same place. Nonetheless, he is beyond seasoned and would provide another established veteran presence in the Panthers’ locker room.
However, Talbot is probably the least favorable for the Panthers of the four players mentioned due to a mix of similar age restrictions (turns 39 in beginning of July) that have been rumored to keep them from bringing back Bobrovsky and a lack of significant postseason experience. Despite his extensive experience in the NHL, he’s played in 36 playoff games and started in 34. While not to be overlooked, it still does not compare to the top two.
His most recent contract was with the Detroit Red Wings, where he spent the past two seasons. It was a two-year, $5 million deal.
Continue reading...
