New York Islanders: Pros and cons of signing Panarin and Bobrovsky

All signs point to the New York Islanders targetting both Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky. While it’s a bold move that could pay handsome returns, it’s also risky.

The New York Islanders had a surprisingly successful season in 2018-19. Nobody expected them to make the Stanley Cup Playoffs, but they did. As surprising as their regular season was, all signs are pointing to them having an even more surprising offseason. It appears the Islanders will be letting both Anders Lee and Robin Lehner walk, as they aren’t close to a deal with either.

This only makes sense if the Isles are pursuing both Artemi Panarin and Sergei Bobrovsky. The two have long been rumored to be a package deal. They are good friends and even their significant others are good friends. Panarin and Bobrovsky could very well be the Ryan Suter and Zach Parise of the 2019 offseason.

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However, targetting both is a huge risk for the Islanders. Let’s look at the pros and cons of them doing so, objectively looking to see if this is a good move by them.

Pros

The immediate pro of signing both Panarin and Bobrovsky is they are two of the best in the world at what they do. Panarin is one of the very few wings in the NHL who can drive his own line and change games. Meanwhile, Bobrovsky is a two-time Vezina Trophy finalist.

Guys like Bobrovsky simply don’t become free agents that often. The last multiple-time Vezina Trophy winner to hit the free agent market? Tim Thomas back in 2013, and even then, he was old. You’d have to go all the way back to Ed Belfour to find one who hit free agency while still at a reasonable age.

Bobrovsky would give the Islanders a true number one goalie. As good as Lehner was, the Isles used a tandem with him and Thomas Greiss. This suggests maybe they weren’t that confident in Lehner. Bobrovsky is a workhorse, having started at least 60 games in each of his last three seasons and at least 50 in his last five full seasons (excluding the 2013 lockout-shortened season).

Obviously, Panarin would be the crown jewel of this coup. A wing of his caliber hasn’t been available at his age in many years. Sure, you could argue John Tavares was better (and you’d be right), but remember, he’s a center.

Panarin is one of the three players to have at least 27 goals and 70 points in each of the last four seasons. The only two other players to do that are Sidney Crosby and Patrick Kane. At 27 years old, Panarin is young and has a lot of terrific years left in him.

light. Related Story. 5 Teams Who Should Sign Panarin

Usually, you have to worry about how players will age. Panarin, though, should be good because he’s an elite player. They tend to age at a slower rate than everyone else. Panarin also just joined the NHL four years ago, which means he has fewer miles on his skates than everyone else.

If the Islanders sign both Panarin and Bobrovsky, they’ll be getting an upgrade over Lehner and Lee, at least in the short-term.

Cons

The primary downside to signing both of them is the cost. Between Panarin and Bobrovsky, they should cost about $20 million a year. $12 million for the former, $8 million for the latter. Currently, the Islanders have about $21.5 million of cap space available. This doesn’t give them much of a cushion in case they have to dedicate more to them. It also leaves very little room for the Islanders to upgrade elsewhere without moving out a significant contract.

Also, it could cause some cap issues as soon as next summer. After the 2019-20 season, the Islanders need to give Mathew Barzal, Ryan Pulock, and Devon Toews new deals. Assuming Panarin and Bobrovsky cost $20 million combined, that leaves them with just over $10.5 million before factoring in the salary cap rising.

Related Story. 3 Teams Who Should Sign Bobrovsky. light

Barzal is going to require a huge deal. Pulock could command a huge one if he continues to be arguably their best defenseman. Toews likely won’t be able to command a large one, but if he gets more playing time, he should get more expensive. The salary cap will probably rise, which would help, but you never know since there’s likely going to be a lockout.

Aside from the cap coast, signing bonuses are necessary to sign stars in today’s NHL. It would be surprising if Panarin and Bobrovsky don’t want guaranteed money during the lockout. That’s not insignificant for a team looking to move into Belmont.

Another huge concern is how Bobrovsky will age. As I said earlier, I wouldn’t be worried about Panarin in the slightest. He’s an elite player and there’s no reason to believe he wouldn’t be productive throughout a majority of, if not the entirety of, his next deal.

But Bobrovsky is a huge risk. He turns 31 in September. Age is very unkind to goaltenders, especially ones like Bobrovsky who rely heavily on their athleticism. Goalies like Henrik Lundqvist, Pekka Rinne, and Roberto Luongo are the exception, not the rule.

Bobrovsky might have already started his decline. Let’s look at his save percentages over the past three seasons.

2016-17: .931
2017-18: .921
2018-19: .913

That’s a bit concerning, to say the least. Granted, playing for the team like the Islanders, who are strong defensively, could help extend his career. But if you’re arguing your defense would make things easier for your expensive goalie, this begs a question – why even have the expensive goalie?

Next. 5 Free Agent Signings We'd Love To See. dark

Verdict

The Islanders are a shadow of what they were back in the 1980’s. They’ve struggled to remain relevant over the past 30 years. Signing Panarin and Bobrovsky would be a significant risk that could blow up in their face. But it could also help take them to the next level.

Considering the Islanders appear to be content letting Lee and Lehner walk for nothing, they’ve got to be confident in their chances of signing both. For their sake, let’s hope they’re right because if they lose out on both, it’s likely they’ll also lose out on Lehner and Lee.

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