Panthers Goalie Polishing Hall of Fame Resume

The Florida Panthers' star goalie achieved an NHL feat in record time after a stellar performance against the New York Rangers.

Oct 22, 2024; Sunrise, Florida, USA; Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky (72) defends his net against the Minnesota Wild during the first period at Amerant Bank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images / Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

The beginning of the Florida Panthers' long road to the Stanley Cup will be debated. Most point to the Matthew Tkachuk trade as the catalyst, and while that was certainly the turning point, I'd make the argument that the true starting point was the summer of 2019.

That was the summer the Panthers signed goalie Sergie Bobrovsky to a massive seven-year, $70 million deal. At the time, it was a polarizing decision. He was a two-time Vezina Trophy winner at the time of the deal, but there was also serious doubts about his ability to win in the postseason.

Five years later, and the Panthers and Bobrovsky have had the last laugh and then some. Bob just notched his 400th career victory in a win over the New York Rangers, stopping 24 of 25 shots in the process. He's now the 14th goalie to reach that achievement, but he's also done it in a record setting 707 games.

At 36 years old, Bobrovsky has largely been overlooked amongst the best at his position. With all-stars and Hart Trophy candidates like Carey Price, Connor Hellebuyck, and Henrik Lundqvist dominating the position over the last 15 years, recognition has been hard to come by. But with this record-setting accomplishment, Bobrovsky is demanding some recognition while he polishes off his Hall of Fame resume.

People easily forget just how good he's been since entering the NHL due to his struggles in the postseason early in his career. His first two seasons with the Philadelphia Flyers put the league on notice, and then he became the first Columbus Blue Jackets net minder to record back-to-back 30+ win seasons.

Over 15 seasons in the NHL, he has a sterling win/loss record of 400-226-56. Couple that with a career save percentage of .915% and a goals against average hovering around 2.59, and his production is undeniably Hall of Fame worthy.

And he isn't done moving up the ranks. The Panthers remain a dangerous team in the Eastern Conference, giving Bobrovsky even more time and opportunity to collect wins and further show why he is one of the most underrated and overlooked goaltenders of his era.

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