Aleksander Barkov knows exactly what Sergei Bobrovsky is walking into with the Toronto Maple Leafs, because he spent seven seasons watching him up close in Sunrise, Fla.
And Barkov’s message was simple: Toronto isn’t just getting a decorated goalie. It’s getting a presence.
At the NHL Player Media Tour in Las Vegas on Tuesday, the Florida Panthers captain spoke with TheHockeyNews.com’s Michael Traikos about his former teammate, praising both what Bobrovsky brought on the ice and what he meant in the room. Barkov said the Panthers will miss him not only as a player, but as a person.
"There's no one like him," Barkov said of Bobrovsky. "The way he was here for seven seasons, it was just incredible.
We're gonna miss him a lot as a person. As a goalie and a person, he was that type of guy who you look up to every single day, what he does."
Bobrovsky’s résumé already tells part of the story: two Stanley Cup championships, two Vezina Trophies, 16 NHL seasons and 806 regular-season games. Even at 37 - he turns 38 on Sep. 20 - Barkov believes the veteran netminder still carries the kind of impact that changes a team’s tone.
Bobrovsky had a down season in 2025-26, finishing with a career-low .877 save percentage in 52 games. Still, Barkov said the Leafs are getting a player whose value goes far beyond one rough year.
"Me personally, I learned so much from him just watching him, just looking at him, just seeing what he does day to day, how he tries to get better, even at his age," Barkov said. "I think he's what, 37, 38; he feels like and looks like he's early 30s, maybe even late-20s.
That's what you want to be as a perfect human being and athlete. For sure, we're gonna miss him a lot."
Barkov also pointed to the example Bobrovsky sets every day. In his view, the goalie’s habits speak louder than anything he says.
"When he speaks, everyone listens," Barkov said. "At the gym, he’s always working hard.
On the ice working really hard. He’s one of those guys you look at when you’re a young guy.
He works three times more than I do. Maybe I should do something about it."
That kind of reputation, Barkov said, is exactly why Bobrovsky will matter in Toronto. He’s not just a veteran voice; he’s the sort of player whose routine and standards shape the people around him.
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