Oilers ‘had interest’ in free agent goaltender Bobrovsky: Friedman

Picture this: Sergei Bobrovsky on the Edmonton Oilers.

For some Oilers fans, it would be hard to stomach. After all, he’s the one who helped the Florida Panthers beat Edmonton in back-to-back Stanley Cup finals.

For other Oilers fans — which may very well be the majority — would rejoice over the idea of the team finally having a legitimate No. 1 goaltender in the Connor McDavid.

This, at least at some point, was a discussion among Edmonton Oilers front office members, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman. In a late-night article Tuesday on the eve of free agency opening, Friedman made a number of predictions, one of which about Bobrovsky.

“Heard Edmonton had interest, but I’ve honed in on Toronto,” Friedman wrote, adding that Bobrovsky’s ask from the Panthers was a three-year contract worth $21 million.

Florida traded for Jacob Markstrom Tuesday, likely closing the door for any reunion between Bobrovsky and the Cats.

Bobrovsky, 37, had what was likely his worst season in the NHL last year, posting a 27-23-1 record, a .877 save percentage, and a 3.07 goals-against average, posting a 52.9 per cent quality start percentage. The Panthers as a whole struggled, however, failing to make the playoffs for the first time since 2019. While his backup Daniil Tarasov fared better in terms of save percentage, with a .895, his record was worse, his goals-against average was .02 points better, and his quality start percentage was 54.8.

It’s not unreasonable to think that Bobrovsky could bounce back, and if he does move on from the Panthers — which all signs are pointing towards — that fire in his belly will only grow.

As Friedman mentioned, it seem as if the Maple Leafs will be pushing for Bobrovsky as they look to bounce back quickly after drafting Gavin McKenna first overall. The Oilers could circle back, of course, but with the fate of Darnell Nurse contingent on him potentially opening up his trade list, and Edmonton entering free agency with $7.415 million in cap space, it might be tough to make a deal happen.