NHL free agency: 5 free agents that will be overpaid this offseason

5. Sergei Bobrovsky

The Columbus Blue Jackets are unlikely to retain goalie Sergei Bobrovsky, and it’s probably the right move. The two-time Vezina Trophy winner had plenty of chances to try and guide this team to a Stanley Cup championship, but in seven years with the organization, the Jackets only netted them one playoff series win.

Bobrovsky will enter this offseason as one of the most sought-after goalie free agents in history. You almost never see an All-Star and Vezina winner enter the market, but Bobrovsky is an exception. He promises to earn a mammoth contract once free agency begins, and there’s one team that seems bent on getting Bobrovsky — no matter the price.

TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reported back in February that the Florida Panthers want to “take a run” at both Bobrovsky and Panarin. The latter is a world-class scorer and playmaker. He won’t come with many risks, but Bobrovsky certainly does.

Most mega contracts for goalies always seem to backfire (Rick DiPietro, Cory Schneider, and Roberto Luongo come to mind). Also, Bobrovsky turns 31 in September, and few goalies in this day and age maintain a high level of play when they push 35.

But the main reason Bobrovsky comes with plenty of risk? The fact that he has been a very poor performer in the postseason. He has a career .902 save percentage and 3.14 goals against average in the playoffs. To put that into perspective, his career regular season .919 save percentage and 2.46 goals against average.

Teams should be wary of paying big dollars to a goalie in his 30s unless he’s a proven winner in big games. Bobrovsky is the complete opposite. You need a goalie who can take you all the way, and Bobrovsky hasn’t been able to show that he’s capable of that. He’s probably going to get around $9 million annually. That’s a steep price for a goalie with a poor playoff record.