Sergei Bobrovsky’s first stretch with the Toronto Maple Leafs has not looked much like the rebound many expected.
The 38-year-old goaltender has stumbled out of the gate, posting a 3-5-2 record, a 3.29 goals-against average and a .885 save percentage through ten starts. For a team already drawing plenty of attention for issues at the back end, Bobrovsky’s numbers have only added to the noise.
Still, the early returns are not exactly unfamiliar territory for him.
Bobrovsky has a track record of slow starts, including the year he arrived in Florida after leaving the Columbus Blue Jackets on a seven-year, $70 million deal in 2019. That season, he finished with a 23-19-6 record, a 3.23 goals-against average and a .900 save percentage in 50 appearances. Even with those numbers, the Panthers still went 35-26-8 and reached the playoffs.
He went through another rough patch in 2022-23, when he finished 24-20-3 with a 3.07 goals-against average and a .901 save percentage. Florida again got into the postseason, then pushed all the way to the Stanley Cup Final before losing to the Vegas Golden Knights.
The slow starts have shown up even in seasons when Bobrovsky eventually found his game. In his only September start of his career, earlier this season, he gave up three goals on 24 shots in a 3-2 loss to the Montreal Canadiens in the season opener.
The monthly splits tell the same story. In October, he owns a 58-47-9 record with a 2.86 goals-against average and a .903 save percentage across 116 games. In November, those numbers jump to a 77-40-11 record, a 2.58 goals-against average and a .912 save percentage in 132 games.
The underlying numbers are not a total disaster, either. His goals saved above expected sits at even, which ranks 32nd among 74 qualifying goaltenders. He also has 573 saves on unblocked shot attempts, good for seventh in the NHL, and 255 total saves, which ranks ninth.
The schedule has not offered much cover, either. Some of Bobrovsky’s shakier outings have come against the Calgary Flames, New York Rangers and New York Islanders, all of whom rank in the bottom 13 in offense this season.
Toronto will need a steadier version soon. The Maple Leafs have dropped two of their last three games, and Tuesday night brings a Utah Mammoth team that already beat them 5-4 this season, with Anthony Stolarz in net for Toronto that night.
Bobrovsky has handled Utah well in his career, going 3-1-0 with eight goals against on 90 shots for a 1.98 goals-against average and a .911 save percentage in four starts. That history gives him a chance to turn the page quickly and settle in as a Maple Leaf.
In Other News...
Maple Leafs Let A Vital Home Point Slip Over One Costly Mistake
Jack Roslovic did enough to give the Maple Leafs a chance, scoring both Toronto goals in a tight 3-2 loss to the Utah Mammoth at Scotiabank Arena. Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 33 of 36 shots, and for long stretches the game looked like the kind of home effort that should at least have produced a point.
Instead, one late mistake changed the night. A penalty in the final stretch handed Utah a power play in a tied game, and the visitors made Toronto pay with the decisive goal. For a Leafs team trying to bank every point it can at home, it was the sort of lapse that lingers because the margin was so thin. [Read more 🡒]
Maple Leafs Still Need More From Darren Raddysh In One Key Area
Darren Raddysh has already shown he can help the Maple Leafs in a few different ways, and his early profile with the club reflects that. He is tied for third on the team in shots on goal, a sign that he is getting involved offensively, but his own focus has been broader than just finishing chances. After reflecting on his scoring last season, Raddysh said he is willing to contribute however he can to Torontos success, including in his own end.
Coach Jim Hiller has noticed the defensive work and the way Raddysh helps move the puck on the power play, which has been one of the teams strengths. The next step, though, is finding a little more assertiveness as a shooter, because the Leafs could use him to turn more of those looks into actual attempts. For a player trying to carve out a bigger role, that balance between supporting the attack and becoming more direct could matter as the season moves along. [Read more 🡒]
Leafs May Be Falling Behind In The Dylan Larkin Sweepstakes
The Dylan Larkin chatter around the league has taken on a new shape, and it is not one that favors Toronto. Minnesota has reportedly put together a serious trade pitch to Detroit for the Red Wings captain, one built around high-end prospects and a pile of future draft capital, which is the sort of package that can change a front offices thinking in a hurry. For the Maple Leafs, who have been monitoring the situation like everyone else, the issue is less about interest than about whether they can realistically match the kind of return another contender is lining up.
From Torontos perspective, this is where the market gets tricky. The Leafs have long been linked to star-level upgrades, but the assets needed to win a bidding war are not always there, and this one appears to be tilting toward a team with more flexibility. Nothing is settled and no agreement is in place, but if Detroit is weighing offers purely on upside and volume, Toronto may already be on the outside looking in. [Read more 🡒]