Sportsnet reported Sunday that the Toronto Maple Leafs could be among the teams with interest in Sergei Bobrovsky if he reaches free agency.
The connection makes sense on paper. Anthony Stolarz already played alongside Bobrovsky in Florida.
Stolarz posted a .893 save percentage in 26 games for Toronto this season, solid in stretches but never a true 50-game workhorse. Behind him, the Leafs are leaning on Samuel Ersson and Dennis Hildeby, both unproven as full-time starters.
The Sportsnet report also flagged Bobrovsky's relationship with Toronto forward Steven Lorentz from their shared time in Florida. That familiarity matters in a locker room.
This interest comes after Toronto moved Joseph Woll, a move that left an obvious opening at the position. The logic isn't complicated. The Leafs have been searching for playoff stability in net for years.
Bobrovsky posted a .876 save percentage in 52 games this season per PuckPedia, going 20-23. A 3.07 goals-against average and negative goals saved above expected paint a clear picture of decline.
That's the red flag nobody can ignore. A two-time Vezina winner and two-time Stanley Cup champion is one thing. A 37-year-old coming off those numbers is another.
Toronto should walk if Bobrovsky's asking price hits $42 million
His previous deal was seven years at $70,000,000, a $10,000,000 cap hit. PuckPedia lists him as an unrestricted free agent once that contract expires.
Reports have floated an ask in the range of $42,000,000 over six or seven years. That's the number Toronto cannot touch, not with Auston Matthews at $13,250,000 and William Nylander at $11,500,000 already on the books.
A one-year deal makes sense for both sides. Two years could work if the cap hit lands reasonably. Anything close to that long-term ask should be a non-starter given his age and the statistical decline.
The fit is real. Stolarz knows him. Lorentz knows him. The locker room familiarity checks every box teams care about.
But familiarity doesn't fix a 3.07 goals-against average. Toronto needs a goalie who stops the puck, not just one who's comfortable in the room.
Should the Leafs sign Sergei Bobrovsky even with his recent decline?
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