Sergei Bobrovsky is heading into a new NHL chapter with the Toronto Maple Leafs, and he’s doing it without any lingering resentment toward the Florida Panthers.
The veteran goalie spoke to reporters on Friday after signing a three-year, $21 million contract with Toronto, and he made it clear the split from Florida was handled with perspective, not bitterness. Bobrovsky and the Panthers couldn’t reach an extension, but the 37-year-old said he understood how the decision played out.
“It’s a business,” Bobrovsky said. “The organization decided to move different direction & that’s pretty much it & I respect it.”
He was just as direct when talking about his old team’s place in his career.
“I got nothing against,” Bobrovsky said. “That’s the hockey … I just want to keep only the appreciation … I can’t thank them enough.”
Bobrovsky leaves Florida after seven seasons and two Stanley Cups, won with the Panthers in 2024 and 2025. His final year there wasn’t as sharp statistically, and Florida missed the playoffs, but the hardware he helped deliver still defines the run.
Now he’s joining a Maple Leafs team that went through major changes after missing the 2026 postseason, and Bobrovsky sounded energized by the move. He said age has changed the way he looks at the job.
“As you get older, you appreciate every day even more and more,” Bobrovsky said.
That outlook carried into his thoughts on what comes next in Toronto, where he’s entering his 17th NHL season.
“So, my approach is just enjoy every day on the ice,” Bobrovsky said. “It’s a blessing to be a hockey player and play in the NHL, and it’s a blessing to join this team.
This is Toronto. It’s the capital of hockey.”
Bobrovsky also addressed a small but notable detail off the ice: first overall pick Gavin McKenna gave up jersey No. 72 for him.
“He gave that number to me,” he said.
He had praise ready for the teenager, too.
“He’s a bright guy,” Bobrovsky said. “He’s got really positive energy, and I’m excited to watch him develop into a big superstar in this league.”
Toronto is banking on Bobrovsky’s experience after finishing near the bottom of the NHL defensively last season. General manager John Chayka overhauled the roster with deeper forward lines and stronger defensive support, and Bobrovsky gives the club stability in goal.
His numbers dipped last season, but his playoff résumé and steady presence still matter. If the Leafs defend better under new coach Jim Hiller, Bobrovsky should have a much more balanced setup than the one he left behind in Florida.
In Other News...
Panthers Contract Details Put Two Depth Moves Under The Microscope
The Panthers spent part of the latest wave of NHL contract activity shoring up the bottom of the roster, with Cole Schwindt and Alex Petrovic each landing two-year deals at the same cap hit. Schwindts new agreement keeps a young depth forward in the organization after he was claimed off waivers from Vegas and worked his way into 29 games with Florida last season, while Petrovic gives the club another experienced option on the blue line as the offseason market continues to move around them.
For Florida, the details matter as much as the names. A one-way deal for Schwindt signals real NHL commitment, and Petrovics contract suggests the Panthers value stability and familiarity in the back end as they sort through the rest of their depth chart. Around the league, there was plenty of other movement too, from Alex Ovechkins new one-year deal in Washington to Jakub Dobes extension in Montreal, but these are the kinds of quieter signings that can still shape a teams day-to-day roster picture. [Read more 🡒]
Ducks Add Another Low-Cost Blue Line Option Fans Will Debate
The Panthers have been active in the minor-league free agent market, joining a wave of teams making low-cost depth additions to bolster their organizational pipeline. One of the more familiar names in that group is defenseman Casey Fitzgerald, who is coming back into the fold on a one-year, two-way deal for the 2026-27 season, a move that fits the kind of practical, no-frills business Florida has often done around its AHL roster.
For Panthers fans, the appeal is obvious enough: Fitzgerald is not being brought in to change the NHL picture overnight, but to give Charlotte another experienced blue-line option and add a player the organization already knows well. He is two years removed from his first stint with Floridas system, and his previous run with Charlotte gave the Panthers a solid sample of what he can provide at that level, which is exactly why this sort of signing tends to draw a split reaction between those who like the depth and those who want a bigger swing. [Read more 🡒]