Former Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky signs with Maple Leafs

After officially becoming an unrestricted free agent Wednesday, former Florida Panthers goalie Sergei Bobrovsky signed a three-year deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs. The deal averages $7 million a year, according to reports.

The fact that Bobrovsky would not be returning to Florida became clear Tuesday morning, when the Panthers acquired its second goalie in two days. They picked up Vegas Knights’ goalie Akira Schmid on Monday night and then secured Jacob Markstrom — an established starter — in a trade with New Jersey just about 12 hours later.

Bobrovsky, 37, and the Panthers seemed to envision different paths forward, with the goalie seeking a long-term contract that would take him into retirement eventually. Keeping Bobrovsky would be expensive with his prestige, and the Panthers are working with relatively limited remaining cap space.

With that, Bobrovsky was clearly out of South Florida, and the focus turned to where he would land next. As one of the most highly touted goalies in the league, a bidding war was expected, but the rumors tying him to Toronto quickly came to fruition Wednesday afternoon.

The move marks the end of the Russian’s seven-year stint with the Panthers. Last season, he posted a .877 save percentage, the lowest of his career so far, and a 3.07 goals against average.

Bobrovsky is heading to his fourth NHL team. He entered the league on a three-year, entry-level contract with the Philadelphia Flyers in 2010 and immediately became their primary goaltender, posting a 2.59 goals against average and .915 save percentage — impressive marks, especially for a rookie.

However, Bobrovsky was then traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets after just two seasons, losing his starting spot for the 2011-12 campaign. He spent seven years in Columbus, where he established himself as one of the league’s top goaltenders. He won the Vezina trophy —awarded to the league’s top goaltender – twice while with the organization.

After seven seasons, he became a free agent and signed a seven-year deal with Florida on July 1, 2019, the same one that just expired. In his time with the Panthers, he backed the team through three Stanley Cup Finals and two championships. Despite a dip last year, Bobrovsky, known as “Bob” to fans, was beyond reliable in his time with the organization and was a crucial part of the franchise’s recent success.

Now, in Toronto, Bobrovsky joins a squad that has been eager for a seasoned presence in net, and he will be at the forefront — along with the No. 1 pick in this year’s draft, Gavin McKenna and Auston Matthews. The Leafs finished last in the Atlantic Division.