NHL Free Agency: The rare case of Sergei Bobrovsky

Big name free agents are nothing new, but big name free agent goalies are a rare occurrence. Sergei Bobrovsky might just be this July’s hottest free agency prize.

The NHL is just under a week away from its yearly free agent frenzy. As with every free agent class, there seems to be one or two that always stands above the rest. The top free agency prize for 2019 appears to be Artemi Panarin, who appears to be leaning toward leaving the Columbus Blue Jackets. Pretty much all the top free agents for this summer come from the Blue Jackets, with Panarin joined by Matt Duchene and Sergei Bobrovsky. While it’s a devastating blow for Columbus, it’s music to the ears of the rest of the NHL.

Panarin and Duchene are both incredibly talented players, but they’re not unlike the usual free agent suspects. Just last summer we saw possibly the biggest free of the salary cap era when John Tavares left the Islanders for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Coveted speedy forwards are nothing new. However, having a goalie like Bobrovsky hit the open market isn’t something you see every July 1st.

More from Puck Prose

• Detroit Red Wings 2023 Rookie Camp Has Plenty of Ups and Downs
• This Columbus Blue Jackets rookie doesn’t want to be forgotten
• 2 trades the Boston Bruins must make to secure the Stanley Cup
• 3 reasons the Avalanche won’t win the Stanley Cup in 2024
• This is a big year for Alex Turcotte and the Los Angeles Kings

Bobrovsky already has proved he can be a game changer for a franchise. It was his arrival in Columbus that turned the Blue Jackets from the laughing-stock of the NHL to a perennial playoff contender. Prospective bidders for Bobrovsky’s services hope he can do the same for their team.

Goaltenders in ice hockey have proven to be the make or break piece to their team’s success, sometimes disproportionately so. Most big name goaltenders tend to see themselves moved via trade instead of the free agency destination of their choosing.

As soon as a team notices it has a promising young goaltender, they are either traded for assets, or another goalie gets moved to open up roster space. Either that or their services are locked up and secured a long time before their contract is up.

Look what happened with Ben Bishop in 2017. Bishop was in much the same situation Bobrovsky was in Columbus, with his arrival helping a previous faltering team reach contention. As Andrei Vasilevskiy emerged, Bishop became disposable, but instead of losing him in free agency, the Tampa Bay Lighting traded him away instead.

Any possible free agent frenzy that could have surrounded Bishop ended when his rights were acquired by the Dallas Stars prior to the beginning of free agency.

Of course, goalies can get traded for various other reasons as well. That was the case with Patrick Roy’s unceremonious departure from Montreal to lead the Colorado Avalanche to two Stanley Cups.

Roy’s only career transaction came as the result of “le trade”. Even though Dominik Hasek found success with both the Buffalo Sabres and Detroit Red Wings, he too was sent to Motor City via a trade.

Granted, Columbus was in a much different position this season than Tampa Bay was in 2017. This past year was an all or nothing year for Columbus to make one last playoff push before all their best players became free agents and were expected to leave. Columbus can’t be faulted too much for holding onto Bobrovsky. Still, when’s the last time a goaltender of his caliber landed in the open market?

Free agent goalies are nothing rare, but free agent goalies as good as Bobrovsky are. The free agent offerings for goaltender come July are usually limited to castoffs and journeyman net minders hoping for a home.

Some have outstayed their welcomes in their original surroundings, others tend not to spend too much time in one place. Just look at the other goaltenders slated to be free agents this summer joining Bobrovsky. There’s Carolina’s dynamic duo in Petr Mrazek and Curtis McElhinney and the next best offering is Robin Lehner, who after a rebound year will most likely sign with the Islanders.

Next week is going to be the closest we’ve ever seen to Martin Brodeur in his heyday or Carey Price hitting free agency. Even with Bobrovsky firmly established as one of the league’s best, there seem to be some stronger contenders to win him over than others.

Following the recent retirement announcement of longtime Florida Panthers goalie Roberto Luongo, paired with the prospect of Panarin joining him to be reunited with Joel Quenneville, have painted the Panthers as favorites.

With some surprise cap clearing by Carolina, could the Hurricanes be in play? Anything can happen before July 1st, except apparently Bobrovsky reaching a deal to stay in Columbus.

Although having a goalie as good as Bobrovsky available for the taking is a rare occurrence, don’t expect an NBA style publicity charade to sign him. With the NHL salary cap a factor, and most teams firmly having their goaltending squared away, there’s a difference between teams that want Bobrovsky and teams that can afford Bobrovsky. Florida fits like a glove, and the Panthers might be winners of the Sergei Bobrovsky sweepstakes.