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By Michael Gallagher
Sports Content Coordinator
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The Florida Panthers’ roster is chock full of talented scorers and a few capable defensemen, but if there’s one area the team is lacking in it’s at goaltender.
For the last seven seasons, the Panthers have had two-time Vezina Trophy winner and two-time Stanley Cup champion Sergei Bobrovsky in net. The 37-year-old net-minder led Florida to three Stanley Cup Finals, including two championships.
But according to David Pagnotta of the Fourth Period, Bobrovsky and the Panthers appear destined for a divorce.
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“It looks like Sergei Bobrovsky is going to be leaving for free agency,” Pagnotta said on “NHL Tonight.”
With Bobrovsky’s impeding departure, the Panthers had a glaring hole on their roster that needed to be filled, which is why the team traded for 26-year-old goalie Akira Schmid from the Vegas Golden Knights in exchange for a 2028 third-round pick.
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“Akira is a talented and athletic goaltender who has shown poise in high-pressure moments,” Panthers general manager Bill Zito said in a release. “We are excited to welcome him to our organization.”
Schmid has spent the last two seasons in Vegas after a three-year stint with the New Jersey Devils.
The former fifth-round pick played in a career-high 29 games last year, posting a 16-10-6 record with a 2.59 goals-against average and .893 save percentage. It’s likely he’ll play a similar (or larger) role with the Panthers next season.
Before the Schmid trade, Florida was facing the prospect of a Daniil Tarasov- Cooper Black tandem. Tarasov went 13-15-3 with a 3.05 GAA and .895 save percentage last season while backing up Bobrovsky.
Trading for Schmid likely signals the Panthers weren’t impressed with the group of free-agent goalies on the market this year, led by Petr Mrazek, Ivan Fedotov, Cam Talbot, Connor Ingram, and Vitek Vanececk.
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