Will the Florida Panthers become 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 goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky? Will the Panthers be full sellers?
** NHLRumors.com transcriptions
“You know, Florida. There’s been a lot of talk about Bobrovsky the last few days. I think the challenge there is that, 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, he’s 29. But the other guy who got a big extension, Marchand at 37, okay? Bobrosky is 37.
And he’s even though he’s had a tough year at times this year, he’s still a future Hall of Famer who was the backbone of a two time defending Stanley Cup champion, possibly Once removed. And you know, the Panthers, I would suspect they have a limit of where they’re willing to go. But it’s not always easy when a player who’s a key player on a team like that, sees other guys get paid. And especially, especially one player who’s right around his age. And they say, ‘Okay, well, we may not do, we may not be able to do that for you.’
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So I don’t know. I think Florida gets things done when they want to get things done. They’ve proven that to us. Don’t doubt them. We didn’t think there was any way they could get all three guys done last year, Kyle, they did it. But clearly they haven’t gotten to a zone yet that Bobrosky is comfortable with.”
Kyle Bukauskas: “So do you think are they a team that’s entering the sellers zone here, as you say? I know it’s been a tough year for him, injury wise, results wise. There’s still little ways out here in regards to the Eastern Conference playoff picture. I mean, couldn’t see them being a big buyer at this juncture.”
Friedman: “No.”
Bukaukas: “Because of where they are, because of the limited assets they have. ”
Friedman: “I do see. Unless it’s someone with term?”
Bukaukas: “I understand.”
Friedman: “Someone with term. Yeah.”
Bukauskas: “But I just wonder, is there any part of them and goes,’ well, let’s just see how long we can or how interesting we can make this.”
Friedman: “They’ve got a week. Like they did, Marchand fell on their lap like minutes before the trade deadline last year, right? So I always assume that they’re not uncomfortable doing that.
Bukauskas: “Especially, yeah, if the market is what your contact was suggesting out 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 in. Yeah, I think he could help us in some way down the stretch here. Why not?’
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I mean, they’ve proven to be the poster child for, ‘oh, you don’t see value in this player? Yeah, we’ll take them and we’ll make them an important piece here.
Friedman: “They’re a smart front office, so I could expect anything from them. But, you know, the Bobrovsky thing is interesting to me. I don’t know how to handicap that at this point, but I understand why a player like that might look and say, ‘Okay, all these other guys got taken care of, you know, I should be too.’”
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