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22 hours ago
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Two seasons in a row, Sergei Bobrovsky was a big reason the Florida Panthers defeated the Edmonton Oilers in the Stanley Cup Finals.
But this season wasn't as good for either team. The Panthers missed the playoffs entirely, while poor goalie play knocked the Oilers out in the first round.
That combination may have made Bobrovsky some money this offseason.
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Daily Faceoff's Matt Larkin ranks Bobrovsky as his No. 2 unrestricted free agent in the entire NHL, and he spent time in his blurb breaking down how the Oilers and Bobrovsky are connected here.
"Who would’ve expected he could ever flirt with another $10-million AAV on a contract? A goaltending-starved wannabe contender might pay him almost that much on a short-term deal next year," Larkin writes. "And the playoffs have only exposed how much certain teams (cough, Oilers, cough) need help in goal – essentially showcasing his value even though he’s idle."
The Oilers likely don't have the salary cap space themselves to be the team that brings him aboard, but they helped his cause for landing somewhere for an expensive price.
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The Panthers are still in play, too, it appears, but maybe not the favorite, either.
"If Florida continues keeping the band together and inking players to team-friendly pacts that break the game, Bobrovsky could remain part of their future, but the recent scuttlebutt suggests the two sides aren’t aligned at the moment," Larkin writes. "Will ‘Bob’ make it to market after all?"
Goalie is a position where the grass very often feels greener somewhere else, and the championship pedigree of Bobrovsky will earn him some money -- especially if teams hoping to make deep runs don't get there because their goalie work isn't good enough -- like the Oilers.
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