Goalie Sergei Bobrovsky’s 3.08 goals-against average and .876 save percentage say the 37-year-old Russian goalie may be near the end of the line. GM Bill Zito and Bob’s teammates say that’s nonsense.
They believe his bloated GAA and sad save percentage reflect how poorly the team played in a season marked by too many injuries.
There were rumors that he might be traded, but there was no serious effort made to make that happen.
Zito called Bobrovsky a critical member of the franchise. Matthew Tkachuk told George Richards of Florida Hockey Now that Bobrovsky’s teammates would “wine and dine” him to make sure he returns.
There is considerable trust in his ability to rise up when games are being decided.
But as is always the case, it will come down to money. Bobrovsky is on an expiring contract paying him $10 million per season. He won’t get anywhere near that amount at age 37.
Hockeconomics.com projects his value at $3.5 million. Undoubtedly, the Panthers would probably be looking for a one-year deal. Because he helped the franchise win two Stanley Cups, maybe the number rises to $4 million or a little more.
Because of his age, maybe the solution is a bonus-laden deal, something with a lower base salary and a lucrative number if he delivers like the Panthers believe he still can.
Other Notes:
2. Easier Road to Travel: If you are a Los Angeles Kings fan and want to feel better about the Kings chances of making the playoffs, then be encouraged that the Kings will enjoy the easiest schedule down the stretch. Their remaining opponents have a combined points percentage of .510.
3.Avs Better Five-on-Five: One of the oddest statistics of the season is the fact that the Colorado Avalanche lead the NHL in goals at 3.82 per game and rank 28th on the power play with a 16.2% efficiency.
4. Within His Rights: I have no sympathy for the St. Louis Blues who had a trade canceled because Colton Parayko wouldn’t waive his no-trade clause. The reason players seek no-trade clauses is to prevent having their lives disrupted by a mid-season trade. Parayko wasn’t the bad guy. The bad guy was the person who leaked the story before Parayko had a chance to make his decision. Now fans think Parayko is the villain. He is not.
5. Teen Idols: Nothing speaks to Macklin Celebrini’s impressive performance this season than the fact that Celebrini probably will register more points as a teenager than Mario Lemieux. Pittsburgh’s Lemieux had 100 while Celebrini shows 88 with 21 games remaining. Lemieux seemed otherworldly as a teenager. Lemieux is only sixth on the list. Wayne Gretzky (137) and Sidney Crosby (120) are one and two.
6. Goodbye, Muzz: The Chicago Blackhawks family is grieving the loss of Troy Murray, a former player and a long-time broadcast analyst. Nothing speaks how hard he worked in life more than the fact he scored 45 goals and won the Selke Trophy in the same 1985-86 season. After leaving the Blackhawks, he won a Stanley Cup with the Colorado Avalanche in 1996. The affable man battled cancer for almost five years. Rest in Peace, Muzz.
7. Must See TV: The San Jose Sharks and New York Islanders were not on anyone’s list of NHL teams you couldn’t wait to see, but that has changed because of Macklin Celebrini and Matthew Schaefer. The show-stopping nature of their ability have turned their teams into must-see TV. It feels like the Islanders will be in the postseason, it would be good for the league if the Sharks qualify as well.
8. Odds Never In Your Favor: The Colorado Avalanche leads the NHL in goals scored and own the league’s best goals-against average. They completed two helpful trades Friday, adding centers Nazem Kadri (from Calgary) and Nicolas Roy (from Toronto). They will win the President’s Trophy. But moneypuck.com says the Avalanche probability of winning the Stanley Cup is only 12.5%. That’s a reflection of how difficult it is to avoid an upset in the NHL playoffs.
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