Will the Florida Panthers be full sellers? Would they trade Sergei Bobrovsky?
Sportsnet: Elliotte Friedman on 32 Thoughts: The Podcast – NHL Trade Deadline: A Buyers’ Market episode on the Florida Panthers. What will the Panthers decide to do with pending UFA goalie Sergei Bobrovsky? Will the Panthers be full sellers?
** NHLRumors.com transcript
“You know, Florida. There’s been a lot of talk about Bobrovsky the last few days. I think the challenge is, you know, Bobrovsky saw a lot of guys get paid last year. Ekblad got a big extension, he’s 30. Bennett got a big extension, 29. But the other guy that got a big extension, Marchand at 37. Bobrosky, okay?
And while he’s had a rough year at times this year, he’s still a future Hall of Famer who was the backbone of the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion, possibly if he’s eliminated. And you know, the Panthers, I would suspect they have a limit to where they’re willing to go. But it’s not always easy when a player who is the main player in such a team, sees other guys leading. And especially, especially one player close to his age. And they said, ‘Okay, well, we might not, we might not be able to do that for you.’
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So I don’t know. I think Florida does things when it wants to do things. They proved that to us. Don’t doubt them. We didn’t think there was any way all three of them could do it last year, Kyle, they did. But it is clear that they have not reached the place where Bobrosky is comfortable.”
Kyle Bukauskas: “So you think they’re a team that’s going into the market here, like you say? I know it’s been a tough year for him, injury-wise, results-wise. There’s still a ways to go here in terms of the Eastern Conference playoff picture. I mean, I didn’t see them being a big buyer at this point.”
Friedman: “No.”
Bukaukas: “Because of where they are, because of the limited assets they have.
Friedman: “I see. Unless it’s someone with time?”
Bukaukas: “I understand.”
Friedman: “A time person. Yes.”
Bukauskas: “But I’m just wondering, is there a part of them that goes, ‘let’s see how long we can do it or how interesting we can make this.'”
Friedman: “They have a church.” Like they did, Marchand fell into their lap like minutes before the trade deadline last year, right? So I always think that they are not free to do that.
Bukauskas: “Especially, yeah, if the market is what the contact was suggesting there, like, I wonder if they’re a team that goes, ‘Oh, really, that’s all it’s going to cost to get that guy. Yeah, I think he can help us somehow down here. Why not?’
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I mean, they’ve proven to be the poster child for, ‘oh, don’t you see the importance of this player? Yes, we will take them and we will make them an important piece here.
Friedman: “They’re a smart front office, so I would expect anything from them. But, you know, the Bobrovsky thing is interesting to me. I don’t know how to disable that yet, but I understand why a player like that might look and say, ‘Okay, all these other guys are taken care of, you know, so should I be.’
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