Panthers want Bobrovsky to stay, Marchand might need surgery, more season postscripts
Of all of the Florida Panthers’ pending free agents, one name looms larger than the rest: Goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky.
The 37-year-old netminder, a surefire Hall of Famer when his career is over, is at the end of the seven-year, $70 million deal he signed with the club ahead of the 2019-2020 season.
And while he just wrapped up what was statistically the worst season of his 16-season NHL career, the Panthers don’t want to see him go.
”Everyone,’’ captain Aleksander Barkov said, “wants him to stay.’’
Bobrovsky posted a 201-113-21 record in 349 regular-season games (344 starts) with a .903 save percentage, 2.80 goals against average and 20 shutouts during his Panthers tenure. He leads all active goaltenders and is seventh all-time in NHL history with 454 wins across his illustrious career, which includes a pair of Vezina Trophies while with the Columbus Blue Jackets and a pair of Stanley Cups with the Panthers. Depending on how long he wants to keep playing, Bobrovsky could become the fourth goaltender in NHL history to accrue 500 career wins, joining Martin Brodeur (691), Marc-Andre Fleury (575) and Patrick Roy (551).
But will those milestones come with Florida?
Bobrovsky certainly hopes so. While he didn’t speak Thursday during the Panthers’ end-of-season media availability, the veteran goaltender has made it clear multiple times over the past month that he wants to stay with the Panthers if given the opportunity.
However, Bobrovsky is also coming off a season in which he went just 27-23-1 over 52 games (51 starts). His .877 save percentage was the lowest of his career. His 3.07 goals against average is tied for the second worst.
It came amid a trying season overall for Florida, one in which the Panthers missed the Stanley Cup playoffs and finished with 14 key players sidelined due to an assortment of injuries.
His teammates are assured that his individual performance, like the team’s season as a whole, is a one-off.
“We cannot lose him,” star Panthers winger Matthew Tkachuk said. “He’s our guy. He is going to get us back to where we want to be. [He is] the most important piece of our team the past couple of years with what he has done. It’s the character, the work ethic, the drive. He sets the tone on and off the ice. I don’t care what age he is, he is the backbone of this team. If we’re going to get back there, we’re going to need him.’’
Panthers president of hockey operations and general manager Bill Zito on Thursday said he had “a great meeting with Bob” on Wednesday and that “the hope” is that Bobrovsky remains with the Panthers.
“He’s meant quite a bit,” Zito said. “The work ethic is infamous. The professionalism, the leadership, if you have occasion to get to know him, he’s a wonderful human being with a great sense of humor, very funny guy and a very good, caring and considerate teammate. He does so many things you guys don’t know about to support his teammates, not just as a hockey player but as a person. He’s meant quite a lot to me as well. Just a wonderful guy and fantastic hockey player and great contributor.”
Surgery on the table for Marchand?
Veteran winger Brad Marchand missed nine games in a 13-game stretch and then the final 19 games while dealing with lingering issues stemming from an assortment of lower-body injuries — including to his hip, groin and a previous sports hernia surgery.
The Panthers’ hope is that he will not need surgery this offseason, but Marchand on Thursday cautioned that going under the knife is still a possibility.
“We’re not sure yet. That’s still a potential,” Marchand said. “It’s something that we’re … it’s a last resort. There’s so much time here that we’re not in a playoff position to where we’re going to try and do everything we can to get around it without having surgery. But, yeah, it’s not off the table.”
Marchand said he started feeling the injuries flare up in December and played through it until he couldn’t anymore.
He finished the season with 27 goals and 54 points in 52 games.
What kept Jonah Gadjovich out?
Fourth-line forward Jonah Gadjovich’s previously undisclosed upper-body injury that required surgery in November was a neck injury, Zito said Thursday.
Gadjovich didn’t play after the surgery despite returning to practice in Janurary.
“He was pretty close a couple times and then would have a setback,” Zito said. “Through it all, he’s been a wonderful teammate.”
Eight sent back to Charlotte
The Panthers on Friday sent eight players back to the Charlotte Checkers, the team’s American Hockey League affiliate that is set to begin its Calder Cup Playoffs next week.
The eight Forwards Nolan Foote, Noah Gregor and Wilmer Skoog plus defensemen Marek Alscher, Mike Benning, Tobias Bjornfot, Mikulas Hovorka and Ludvig Jansson.
Foote, Gregor and Bjornfot are NHL journeymen who spent most of the season in Charlotte. Skoog, Alscher, Benning, Hovorka and Jansson all made their NHL debuts this year filling in for the injury-ravaged Panthers.
Charlotte finishes its regular season on Sunday and then begins postseason play on Wednesday.
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