Do you believe it was worth it at the end of the day or still a massive overpay that should not have been done ?
It was signed when the organization couldn't attract players to SE Fla. Back then cap wasn't an issue for this team. Hence, I supported the signing. Last year, however, the contract was a huge problem. Roster had holes because of no cap space (partly also because of buyouts). Luckily this year Zito was able to find players who are willing to play "under market value". So it's not a problem now. Next season the situation is different. I don't think that it's possible to keep this team together because so many players want a better contract. Then Bob's contract will be a problem again. Especially if Knight returns and that goalie tandem costs $14.5m. For example Vegas has now $5.7m "buried" in those two goalies in the roster and they still are $10m over the cap. That enables them to have a broader roster which helps in playoffs.It's still a big overpayment - in that way, it was always going to be a bad contract. That said, there are situations when an overpayment might be worth it. The question is whether Bob has done enough to justify this one.
If he gets us a SC, then yes. Otherwise no
A 10-million-goalie should save the team on a constant basis when things are "rough" as you call it. I like Bob a lot, and I am one defending him when others criticized him. But this contract was just insane. And many other teams proved that you can go far with mediocre goaltending - at reasonable prices. Greatness is expected with such a contract, and he needed too much time to deliver while tying up Zito's hands to get players.Sergei Bobrovsky is one of the best goaltenders in the world.
And this is coming from someone that wrote scathing rants about his play for a number of years here. I started a thread on these boards about how we could possibly dump his contract.
It's hard to explain how he turned things around. It could be the defensive structure brought on by Maurice. It could be that he lacked confidence and it took him a few years to feel like he could "measure up" to his massive $70 million contract. It could be the new goaltending excellence department. It could be a combination of a lot of things - but it's obvious that Bobrovsky in 2024 is a different goalie than Bobrovsky in 2019.
I feel like almost every fanbase in this league is not satisfied with their goaltending and wants an upgrade in net. For us to have, not just a rock solid starter, but someone who can play 60 games and be THE GUY in the crease is a big time luxury and one we should NOT take for granted.
Overall: I would say it was worth it. His tenure here started out rough, really rough, like "I'm not sure he can still play in this league" rough. But things changed and he completely revitalized his career. I've grown to love what Bobrovsky brings to this team and I'm happy we have him.
A 10-million-goalie should save the team on a constant basis when things are "rough" as you call it. I like Bob a lot, and I am one defending him when others criticized him. But this contract was just insane. And many other teams proved that you can go far with mediocre goaltending - at reasonable prices. Greatness is expected with such a contract, and he needed too much time to deliver while tying up Zito's hands to get players.
I think someone posted on ig that he felt Q never liked him and that rocked his confidence
I agree our defense is better, like a lot better than last year, but if we have even just a decent goalie in net were 0-2 this series.Well,
1. Bob was bad for his first three years here. It was not just 'team defense.' Up until the 2022 playoffs, Bob repeatedly lost his net to guys like Spencer Knight and Chris Driedger. Those guys played behind the same defense, but got better results. Those are just facts.
2. Bob has consistently been good since the Panthers adjusted to and started actually playing Paul Maurice's defensive system. Most teams do not have consistently good goaltending. I think Bob has been the best overall goaltender (RS/PS) in the NHL since calendar year 2023 began.
3. Bob takes his health very seriously, and it shows. I think he will continue to age very gracefully due the work he puts in on that front. But... he is now at the age where you have to start worrying about decline, and for goaltenders that comes quite rapidly.
With the flattened cap, and considering how he played his first three years here, the contract is awful. There's no way around that, at all. That's not a reflection on Bobrovsky the player or the person. I like Bob a lot for helping out arena workers during the COVID bullshit, and as I said, I think he's the best starting goaltender in the NHL right now. But the contract was inescapably destined to be bad.
The best thing I can say about the contract is that he is playing so well right now that the Panthers will probably be able to trade him without retaining any salary. Is that something that I personally want to see happen? No, no it's not. But I think it remains a likely scenario due to the unfortunate realities of the salary cap.
The Panthers, playing the best team defense in the league with this roster and coaching staff, don't need elite goaltending, but they do need clutch playoff scoring. This is a dilemma that is going to break some hearts.
Are we allowed to bury Knight in Charlotte again next season?
Are we allowed to bury Knight in Charlotte again next season?
He has been better than good for 3 seasons now.This is the answer. It's a not a good contract for a goalie and was bad the first four years outside of one playoff run. It's even worse when Vegas showed last year that you can win with a goalie making two million. Whatever holes the team has defensively could be fixed with his contract off the books.