Sergei Bobrovsky: The Panthers Didn’t Want to Give Him a No-Trade Clause

Charles-Alexis Brisebois
Sergei Bobrovsky: The Panthers Didn’t Want to Give Him a No-Trade Clause
Credit: Christian Petersen/Getty Images

This summer, the Florida Panthers lost Sergei Bobrovsky.

Since the new Maple Leafs player (who joined the team a few weeks ago) wasn't traded by Florida by the 2026 deadline, this tells us one thing: the Panthers were hoping to keep him this summer.

But that didn't happen.

While it was thought that money was at the heart of the issue throughout the negotiations between the goaltender and the Florida club, it seems the stakes shifted along the way.

Why do I say that?

Because, in fact, the Panthers and Bob had reached a compromise in the end: $12 million over two years (2026–2028), or $6 million per season.

The problem? As Daria Tuboltseva noted in an article (RG Media), the Panthers refused to offer him a full no-trade clause—they wanted a partial one.

Right up until the end, Bob believed it would work out. But on June 30, Jacob Markstrom (who has two years remaining on a $6 million contract) was acquired, which sounded the death knell for Bobrovsky in Sunrise.

And it was shortly thereafter that Toronto offered him a three-year deal worth $7 million per season… and a no-movement clause.

The Panthers have no fewer than 11 skaters with no-move clauses—in addition to Jacob Markstrom, who holds a partial no-trade clause.

The Panthers have realized they need to stop handing these out like candy, since the guys don't want to leave Florida.

(Credit: CapWages)

I imagine that the summer the NHL just went through—where players gained quite a bit of leverage—made teams realize that no-trade clauses tie a team's hands.

Good for the Panthers if they're getting what they want. After all, a team can't give a player such a clause and then complain later that it ties their hands.


In a nutshell

– Reminder.

– Yes, the captain is going to break the bank in 2030.

– The Bills on the radio in Canada.

facebook icon Share twitter icon Tweet linkedin icon Share
Copied!