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Sergei Bobrovsky Agrees to Seven-Year, $70 Million Contract With Panthers
The Panthers have found their new goalie.
Florida has signed Sergei Bobrovsky to a seven-year deal, the team announced on Monday. The contract is worth $70 million, with a $10 million AAV according to Pierre LeBrun. The signing comes just five days after veteran goaltender Roberto Luongo retired after 19 seasons in the NHL, spending two different stints in Florida. The Panthers also traded netminder James Reimer to the Hurricanes on Sunday for Scott Darling with the intentions of a buyout.
It was rumored that former teammate and close friend Artemi Panarin could come to Florida with Bobrovsky—a move that would have united the Breadman with former Chicago coach Joel Quenneville—but he signed with the Rangers instead.
The 30-year-old goaltender had a .919 save percentage and 2.58 GAA for the Blue Jackets last season, numbers that were relatively average throughout the NHL. But it was the first round of playoffs that Bobrovsky dazzled, backstopping Columbus in a first-round sweep of the Lightning that gave the Blue Jackets their first-ever playoff-series win and left many stunned.
Bobrovsky is a two-time Vezina Trophy winner, earning the award as a Flyer in the 2012–13 season and again in 2016–17 as a Blue Jacket.