With each passing day, we are closer to July 1, the day free agency begins. As we inch closer to that, the likelihood of the Florida Panthers re-signing goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky decreases.
If the Panthers do move on from their longtime goaltender, seven years to be exact, they’ll need to be quick in finding a replacement.
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Whether it’s through a trade or via free agency, the Panthers have high-end options to consider. Today, we are going to look at five options the Panthers can explore.
Connor Hellebuyck is the big fish, the league-altering move that the Panthers can make. To bring Hellebuyck to Florida from the Winnipeg Jets, the Panthers will have to pay a premium price in a trade.
The move would be worth it, as Hellebuyck is a three-time Vezina Trophy winner with an Olympic gold medal to his name.
At 33 years old and entering the third season of a seven-year, $8.5-million contract, Hellebuyck would be the Panthers’ starting goaltender for a long time, following the footsteps of Bobrovsky.
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Like Hellebuyck, Jordan Binnington is a proven winning goaltender who is coming off a difficult season despite starting in the gold medal game of the Olympics.
The St. Louis Blues might be looking to go in a different direction with Joel Hofer in net, and it appears time to move on from Binnington. A change of scenery could do the 32-year-old well.
Unlike Hellebuyck, Binnington is entering the final year of a $6-million contract. This could work out positively or negatively for the Panthers. If he doesn’t pan out, they can let him walk in free agency the following summer, but if he does well, there’s the risk that he can go hunting for a high-paying contract.
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Binnington would cost less than Hellebuyck, but it still wouldn’t be cheap.
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Jacob Markstrom is the third veteran goaltender the Panthers could trade for. At 36 years old, Markstrom would be a short-term option for the Panthers, and a reunion.
Markstrom began his career with the Panthers after they selected him with the first pick in the second round of the 2008 NHL draft. He would play just 43 games with the Panthers before moving to the Vancouver Canucks, Calgary Flames, and, most recently, the New Jersey Devils.
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Markstrom’s past two seasons with the Devils haven’t been great, but could former Panthers assistant GM Sunny Mehta pull off a move with Bill Zito?
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Frederik Andersen guided the Carolina Hurricanes to 13 of their 16 wins in the Stanley Cup playoffs, as he dealt with injuries in the last three wins.
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He was outstanding through the first three rounds as the Hurricanes lost just one game.
Unlike the first three mentioned names, Andersen is a UFA, and acquiring him wouldn’t require the Panthers to trade for him. At 36 years old, Andersen would also be a short-term option for the Panthers.
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“It’s Going To Be Soon”: Agent For Sebastian Cossa On When His Client Will Get His Major Opportunity The player agent for Detroit Red Wings prospect goaltender Sebastian Cossa spoke openly about the chances of his client getting a major opportunity, saying that it “will be soon”.
Sebastian Cossa, Detroit Red Wings
Sebastian Cossa is the youngest goaltender of this group, but by far the least experienced.
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At just 23 years old, Cossa has played just one NHL game but has posted stellar numbers in the AHL. As a former 2021 first-round pick, Cossa has the pedigree of a starting goaltender; he just hasn’t been provided the opportunity.
While it’s not usually in the Panthers’ nature to trade for young, unestablished players, it could be a calculated gamble that pays off greatly for the Panthers.
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