The Bobrovsky factor
In mid-December, Sergei Bobrovsky’s future with the Florida Panthers was the subject of serious debate. The $10m-per-year netminder was 5-8-1 with a .884 save percentage before Christmas. Spencer Knight, who signed a contract extension worth $4.5m a year in October, looked like the natural successor, so long as Florida could convince someone to take Bob off their hands this summer. But in February, Knight entered then NHL’s player assistance program with no timeline for his return. Bobrovsky was bumped back to first string, but struggled again. When an illness sidelined him in late March, Alex Lyon, called up from the AHL, stepped in, went on a tear, and started the playoffs against Boston.
