Bill Zito doesn't believe Sergei Bobrovsky has lost it

The goaltender is sticking around, the rest of this season... and maybe longer

Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

It's been said that people lie and numbers don't, but Bill Zito seems to believe that some of the latter may fib just a little.

Zito, the uber-successful general manager of the Florida Panthers, stood behind his two-time Stanley Cup champion Sergei Bobrovsky in a variety of ways Friday after the trade deadline passed -- first, by not trading Bobrovsky even though the 37-year-old has an expiring contract; then, by acknowledging he's working on a contract extension; and then by taking exception to a question about Bobrovsky's "statistical decline," and ignoring the "statistical" part.

Let's start with keeping Bobrovsky past the deadline. Zito wasn't specific about possible offers, or specific players, but he did indicate that he spoke to just about every team in the NHL about something -- and didn't deny that the goalie was among those discussed with some. But in the end, Bobrovsky stayed put with the Panthers, for whom he has been brilliant during the Cup runs but not numerically this season, with his lowest save percentage and second-highest goals against average since signing a seven-year, $70 million deal seven seasons ago.

#FlaPanthers HC Paul Maurice on the trade rumors involving Sergei Bobrovsky:

“I really think that somebody in Canada decided that Bob would be a good target. So it blew up for about two weeks… I think there might have been way more on the outside on that one than on the…

— Katie Engleson (@KatieEngleson) March 6, 2026

“I really think that somebody in Canada decided that Bob would be a good target," Zito said. "So it blew up for about two weeks… I think there might have been way more on the outside on that one than on the inside.”

Right before Zito began to speak, there were national reports that he was now trying to re-sign Bobrovsky, and Zito didn't deny that.

"Sergei is a part of our franchise, a part of our core, and we're going to try to keep him," Zito said. "As with every player, you always listen. But at the end of the day, we try to get him signed. That's what we will try to do. I'm glad that he's here."

Nor did Zito try to negotiate Bobrovsky's price down through the media. Rather, he bristled at any notion that Bobrovsky -- who has had to deal with a rotating group of defenseman in front of him this season -- is any less the player he once was.

"Decline isn't the word I would use," Zito said. "I think he's fine. He's had a heck of a workload, he's a consummate professional. I want Sergei to stay, and I'm looking forward to having him back."

It's quite possible Bobrovsky gets more rest the remainder of the season -- no point in pushing him with the Panthers almost certain to miss the playoffs anyway. But after Zito's actions and comments on Friday, it's seeming more likely he will be in net many times for Florida next season.

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