Sergei Andreyevich Bobrovsky was born in Russia on September 20th, 1988. Bobrovsky was eligible to be drafted into the NHL back in 2006, but the team that thought about drafting him, the Philadelphia Flyers, opted not to, citing the difficulty of signing Russian players at the time. Instead, he would play his first four professional seasons in Russia. In 2010, he would finally sign a contract with the Flyers—it was a three-year, entry-level contract. In his rookie season, Bobrovsky would go 28-13- 8 to go along with a .915 save percentage.
A year after his rookie season, Bobrovsky was benched after a bad playoff run the previous season. He would eventually be traded to the Columbus Blue Jackets, where he would thrive. In his first season with the Blue Jackets, Bobrovsky would have 21 wins in a strike-shortened season and had a career-best 2.00 goalsagainst average and a .932 save percentage.
That would be good enough to be given the Vezina Trophy, which is the award given to the best goalie in the league. He would win a second one in 2017 while going 41-17-5, but the team would lose to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the playoffs.
He would continue to propel his team into the playoffs but would fall short year after year. On July 1st, 2019, Bobrovsky moved on from the Blue Jackets and signed a seven year, $70 million deal with the Florida Panthers. His first season with the Panthers was a down one and cut short by COVID-19, but this season has been different. He has led the team to an 11-1 record with a 2.41 goals-against average and a .920 save percentage. As far as the Panthers and their fans are concerned, this is just what the doctor ordered.
By STEVE FARACE
cinesportstalk.com
@CineSportsTalk