Bobrovsky’s Nickname Should Be Goalie “Rob”

The Toronto Maple Leafs have a problem, which began as an under-the-radar concern and has now revealed itself as a DEFCON 2 threat just one month into the regular season. The problem is future Hall-of-Famer Sergei Bobrovsky.  

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It was a calculated risk made by Leafs GM John Chayka when he signed the 38-year-old to a three-year, $21 million contract on July 1, because the two-time Cup winner was coming off the worst season of his 16-year career, but that could be explained away by the fact that the Florida Panthers were debilitated by a boatload of injuries for most of the season.

10 games into his Leafs career, the move by Chayka appears to be a colossal miscalculation, as the veteran cost Toronto at least one, and possibly two, points in a 5-4 loss to the Seattle Kraken on Wednesday. It would be unfair to say that all the goals scored against the Leafs were on their veteran netminder, which was the case in the three goals scored past him in the 5-2 loss to Calgary on Monday. 

Berkly Catton’s opening goal was a backhander that beat Bobrovsky cleanly, but bounced off the crossbar and his back before crossing the goal line. The next two goals- Josh Mahura’s goal 16 seconds into the second period and Chandler Stephenson’s power-play goal were not on the veteran, as one was due to a bad pinch by Morgan Rielly and the Leafs fourth line not being able to cover the Seattle counterattack, and the other was a result of a deflection off the skate of Troy Stecher.  

But after that, it was all on the Toronto netminder, who got beaten by Ryker Evans just inside the post on the far side to give Seattle a 4-2 lead midway through the middle frame, and on Brandon Montour’s inexcusable game-winner with 33 seconds left in regulation.

If this performance had been a one-off, it would be excusable and written off in a few minutes, but Bobrovsky’s performance is now a three-alarm fire. His 3-5-2 record, 3.29 GAA, and .885 save % do not illustrate how pitiful Bobrovsky has performed so far. His underlying numbers going into the Seattle game were considered above average, but that is why numbers do not always tell an accurate story. 

In only one of his 10 starts, he has allowed fewer than three goals. On the plus side, the Leafs got their money’s worth with excellent outings against Vegas, Colorado, and San Jose. His play was acceptable and not the cause of the season-opening home losses to Montreal and Ottawa, but he was on the hook for the Leafs late-game collapse against Buffalo earlier this month, as well as allowing three goals on 19 shots against the Islanders, and the last two games against the Flames and Kraken. 

Coming off four straight victories and the 7-2 win over Edmonton, the last two games represent a dramatic reversal of fortune for the Leafs, and threw away a comeback effort against the Kraken, which saw Gavin McKenna score a pair of power-play goals, and Auston Matthews have a three-point night. 

This is not to say that this cannot turn around, but Florida GM Bill Zito looks like a genius for not being willing to knuckle under in negotiations and give $7 million to Bobrovsky until the age of 40, and that Bobrovsky’s name should be changed to Goalie Rob, as in he is robbing the Leafs at gunpoint.