The Toronto Maple Leafs have a new starting goaltender.
The team signed veteran Sergei Bobrovsky to a three-year, $21-million deal on Wednesday, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.
The two-time Vezina Trophy winner leaves the Florida Panthers after seven seasons, during which he won two Stanley Cups. While his time in South Florida saw much success, it ended on a low note as the Panthers — riddled with injuries up and down the lineup — missed the playoffs this past spring while Bobrovsky posted some of the worst numbers of his career.
His .877 save percentage marked the lowest of his Panthers tenure. Still, with a track record that speaks for itself, the 37-year-old remained one of the hottest goalies on the market this off-season and a subject of much intrigue after it became increasingly clear Florida management intended to move on.
He was linked to Toronto early and often this off-season, and especially following the Maple Leafs' mid-June trade that sent goalie Joseph Woll to Philadelphia. Signing Bobrovsky makes sense on a number of levels — Toronto has long desired a proven starter in net, and despite concerns about his age, Bobrovsky's presence should bring much confidence to a group looking to sprint back into contention.
He has personal ties to the Maple Leafs, too, having played alongside Anthony Stolarz in Florida, where he was also teammates with current Maple Leafs Steven Lorentz and Oliver Ekman-Larsson. And, much to the chagrin of Maple Leafs fans, Bobrovsky's knack for winning in Toronto — especially in the playoffs — is well-documented, the netminder stumping the Maple Leafs on several occasions during his time backstopping one of Toronto's most hated Atlantic rivals. Bobrovsky led the Panthers past the Maple Leafs in Round 2 of the playoffs in two of the last four seasons.
The Panthers, meanwhile, now turn the net over to Jacob Markstrom after acquiring him in a trade with New Jersey.
Prior to his time in Florida, Bobrovsky spent seven seasons backstopping the Columbus Blue Jackets. He won both Vezina Trophies there. He broke onto the scene in Philadelphia in 2010 and spent his first two NHL seasons with the Flyers.
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