Panthers' Sergei Bobrovsky trade plan might surprise many NHL fans

The Florida Panthers are going to have to do a lot of work to get back in position to defend their back-to-back Stanley Cup titles.

They may instead turn into sellers at the trade deadline, and if that happens, goalie Sergei Bobrovsky could go.

That probably surprises many hockey fans, because Bobrovsky has won all the big games for the Panthers.

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Because of his contract, though, Daily Faceoff's Scott Maxwell lists Bobrovsky as a very logical candidate to be moved before the March 6 deadline.

"While you can never count out the Panthers, an eight-point gap is a lofty one to overcome at this stage of the season, especially when we don’t know the injury statuses of some of their players coming out of the Olympics," Maxwell writes. "... Bobrovsky may be a surprise on this list considering his legacy with the team, but he’s 37 and a pending UFA, so the Panthers should explore what he’s worth. Even with his struggles this season, Bobrovsky always flips the switch come playoff time and could be a valuable asset to a playoff team with short-term goaltending problems (Montreal? Vegas? Insurance behind Brandon Bussi for Carolina?), especially if the Panthers retain salary."

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The Panthers don't have a lot of high-profile selling options, so if they really want to recoup future assets at this deadline, Bobrovsky is the best candidate to make it happen.

This season, the two-time Vezina winner Bobrovsky has an 87.1 save percentage and 3.13 goals against average. Those are well below his career averages of 91.3% and 2.60 GAA.

Bobrovsky has been great in the Panthers' runs to the Stanley Cup each of the past two seasons. Another team could certainly see him as a player worth acquiring to try and make a push of their own.

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