Maple Leafs Preparing a “Risky” Pitch for Top UFA

The Florida Panthers elected to move on from goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, and the Toronto Maple Leafs are going to be a team that joins the bidding war in an attempt to sign him as an unrestricted free agent on Wednesday. Chris Johnston of TSN reports that even though Bobrovsky softened his ask, Florida decided to go another direction and acquired Jacob Markstrom in trade. That leaves Bobrovsky to test the market. Toronto is a frontrunner.

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“I think it’s going to be an interesting contract, one way or another,” said Johnston. He noted that Bobrovsky was asking for a six-year extension with the Panthers. That would put him at 44 years old by the time the deal would have expired. It would be hard to imagine a team doing that, but if Toronto wants to make the best offer, they could go term instead of a high AAV.

Johnston explains:

“The Toronto Maple Leafs are going to be among the teams that see if there’s a fit there. I think what’s interesting from Toronto’s end of things here; we heard John Chayak when he went and got Darren Raddysh say they knew there was risk involved in that contract, but obviously the Leafs are in an aggressive remake, remodel frame of mind right now. Obviously, the Bobrovsky deal, if it’s a long-term one, would have some risk to it as well.”

Will the Maple Leafs Make the Best Offer?

The risk here is paying too much and for too long on a deal for a goaltender who’s best years are behind him. There’s a chance that Bobrovsky will bounce back, but there’s as good a chance he won’t. At the 38, there’s potential for his game to turn dramatically downward. If that happens, the Maple Leafs will be stuck with a deal they’d wish they’d never signed.

Is Toronto prepared to spend $6 million by six years? Now that Florida is out, will Bobrovsky command that much on the open market?

And, they’ll likely have to move on from a goaltender to fit Bobrovsky in. What happens with Anthony Stolarz or Dennis Hildeby?

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