To say the pressure is on Sergei Bobrovsky to deliver in this first round series with the Washington Capitals would be an understatement.
Bobrovsky's playoff struggles are well documented. In 18 games with the Philadelphia Flyers and Blue Jackets, he's won just three times in 14 starts, posting a .887 sv% and a 3.63 goals against average.
Contrast that with his sterling career regular season numbers of .920 sv% and 2.44 GAA and it's easy to draw a line connecting Bobrovsky's playoff troubles and the failings of his team.
It may seem unjust to put Bobrovsky, the definition of a fan favorite and a two-time Vezina Trophy winner, squarely under the microscope, but it comes with the territory of the position. Plenty of goalies, from Cam Ward to Jean-Sebastian Giguere and now Matt Murray are cemented in the annals of hockey lore because of their postseason heroics.
The Columbus Blue Jackets have infamously never won a playoff series, though it may not be completely fair to place 100% of the blame on the team's play in net for this lack of success.
Sergei Bobrovsky has played 18 career playoffs games. 12 of those came against the Penguins who have a few guys I've heard of, and 16 of those came against teams that went on to win the Cup that season. Let's settle down with citing his numbers in those games.
— Filipovic Forsberg (@DimFilipovic) April 10, 2018
On the other hand, consider that in the franchise's 15 playoff games, the Blue Jackets have never given up fewer than three goals in a game.
That's statistically improbable, and puts an absurd amount of pressure on a forward group to trade goals with the juggernaut teams they've faced in each of their first three trips to the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
And while this year's edition of the Blue Jackets possesses an unprecedented amount of offensive firepower (read: Artemi Panarin), allowing 3+ goals per game against the Capitals is a sure-fire recipe for failure.
Then there's the elephant in the room: Bobrovsky's looming free agency. In just over a year, Bobrovsky will be left unrestricted to test the market. Goalies of his ilk rarely go to market, and it's because of their game-breaking ability.
The Blue Jackets will be able to extend him to a contract extension on July 1 of this year, but the honest truth is that, should the 29-year-old struggle in these playoffs, management will have a difficult time assessing his worth.
Nobody is questioning his regular season numbers.
Goals saved above average (total, 5v5)
— Sean Tierney (@ChartingHockey) April 9, 2018
Bobrovsky saved ~34 goals more than a league average goalie would have. That's incredible.
Grubauer was great in far fewer opportunities. He's second with ~16 goals saved. That's 18 (gulp!) behind Bob. pic.twitter.com/ocuIGSt3m0
The Blue Jackets are likely not a playoff team without Bobrovsky. Clearly, the team leans heavily on their star goaltender, but they simply haven't seen the same player when the games matter more.
Bobrovsky will be 31 years old when he begins his new contract, and it's no secret that that's the back nine of a player's career. Blue Jackets management will feel more comfortable offering Bobrovsky a mega contract if they believe that his playoff woes are in the rear-view mirror.
Make no mistake, the Blue Jackets would love to give Bobrvosky a monster contract. But right now it's difficult to justify. Comparable contracts among recent elite goalies nearing UFA status and +/- one year of age 30 include Carey Price and Henrik Lundqvist. Price's 8-year, $84M contract kicks in after this season, and he too will be 31 when the new season begins. Price was once viewed as the top goalie in the NHL, though Bobrovsky outpaces Price's one Vezina Trophy with two of his own. Lundqvist, who also has a Vezina to his name, signed a 7-year, $59.5M contract in December of 2013.
None of the three goalies have won a Stanley Cup.
| Name | Years | AAV | Total | % of Cap Hit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carey Price | 8 | $10.5M | $84.0M | 14.00% |
| Henrik Lundqvist | 7 | $8.50M | $59.5M | 13.22% |
Based on the numbers, it wouldn't be unreasonable to see Bobrovsky ink a 7-year, $63M ($9M AAV) contract, which is a significant raise on his current deal that pays him $29.7M over four years ($7.425M AAV).
The question then becomes: is that in the best interest of the team? Montreal would never say it publicly, but almost certainly regret being tied to a $10.5M goalie in the midst of a rebuild. The same can likely be said for Lundqvist and the Rangers. And while it certainly doesn't appear that the Blue Jackets will be rebuilding anytime soon (knock on wood), who knows where this team is in five years.
It may seem blasphemous to question the value of a player of Bobrovsky's caliber, but in a salary cap league, mistakes are magnified. And while Bobrovsky is a legitimate star in the NHL, the combination of his age and his lack of postseason success are seen as strikes against him.
All eyes will be on Bobrovsky in this series against Washington, and Blue Jackets brass would be happy to show him the money, should Bobrovsky play to his standards.
Follow 1st Ohio BatteryFacebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube
