Sergei Bobrovsky - Top Cop

[thebus88]

Here's his quote from the night the team was eliminated:

“I can’t control lots of things around me," said Bobrovsky, a two time Vezina Trophy award winner. "The only thing I can control (is) myself, you know? After this season, I completely disagree if anybody will say that I need a psychologist.”

It's different After this season because he played well.

So, THESE are his thoughts immediately after being eliminated after being up 2-0 and multiple posts away from 3-0 in the series?? Lots of "ME" in there. Sergei Bobrovsky AND the Blue Jackets.

Sounds like he needs to see a real psychologist not a sports psychologist.

 

[CBJWerenski8]

Oh for gods sake.

Panarin and Bob weren't even friends before last year. Panarin's unwillingness to sign has nothing to do with Bobrovsky.

 

[Monk]

So, THESE are his thoughts immediately after being eliminated after being up 2-0 and multiple posts away from 3-0 in the series?? Lots of "ME" in there. Sergei Bobrovsky AND the Blue Jackets.

Sounds like he needs to see a real psychologist not a sports psychologist.

I mean, a reporter probably asked him a question specifically about that...

 

[Old Guy]

It's going to be interesting to see if the $10M mark will be a final price on him given the apparent implosion of Carey Price post lottery contract.

That’s my point. I can’t imagine a team spending 10 X 7 for a 31 year old goalie that hasn’t won a playoff round. Although there will be another data point added to his resume.

Maybe Florida, or Calgary or Carolina would take the plunge.

If the CBJ get to the Eastern Conference finals or further, somebody will bite. Another flameout and he might not sniff $8 X 5.

 

[blahblah]

This is an interesting situation. If you look over the goalies that have been paid big dollars, it tends to be a mixed bag leaning toward not really being worth it. Having said that, having poor goalies will doom you.

Big dollars at Bob will probably hamstring our cap situation for quite a while. Not paying him will probably push us outside of the playoff picture for the short term. Fun, fun.

 

[EspenK]

This is an interesting situation. If you look over the goalies that have been paid big dollars, it tends to be a mixed bag leaning toward not really being worth it. Having said that, having poor goalies will doom you.

Big dollars at Bob will probably hamstring our cap situation for quite a while. Not paying him will probably push us outside of the playoff picture for the short term. Fun, fun.

You've described the dilemna perfectly imo. Forgetting the how long will Bob be effective debate, I'm guessing that Jones (5.4, for a couple more then 7+), Werenski (6 ish), PLD (6 ish), Cam (5.85), Murray (4.5-5), Wennberg (4.9), Andy (5.5ish) will take up about 40 mill of cap for 7 players. Add in 10 or so if Bread re-signs and Bob doesn't fit imo unless he takes a cut which isn't going to happen. If Bread bolts then maybe Bob can be paid but then you're back into that 8 players taking up a ton of cap and do you really want to do that? And the how long do you sign Bob for.

 

[major major]

You've described the dilemna perfectly imo. Forgetting the how long will Bob be effective debate, I'm guessing that Jones (5.4, for a couple more then 7+), Werenski (6 ish), PLD (6 ish), Cam (5.85), Murray (4.5-5), Wennberg (4.9), Andy (5.5ish) will take up about 40 mill of cap for 7 players. Add in 10 or so if Bread re-signs and Bob doesn't fit imo unless he takes a cut which isn't going to happen. If Bread bolts then maybe Bob can be paid but then you're back into that 8 players taking up a ton of cap and do you really want to do that? And the how long do you sign Bob for.

We've covered this ad nauseum. The Jackets can definitely afford both Bob and Panarin, we'd just have to lose a lower priority player. One of Wennberg/Jenner etc... would be priced out by 2020-2021, and we will lose one of Murray /Nuti /Anderson /Jenner to Seattle anyways. When you're listing out the cap commitments to plan long term, start with the most important players (Bob) first and then squeeze in guys like Wennberg if you can.

Jones, btw, has 4 years left on his deal, which is important because he'll cost 10+ on his next one, not 7+!

In 2020-21

Panarin/? 11 Dubois 6 Atkinson 6
Duclair 2.5 Stenlund 2 Anderson 5.5
Foligno 5.5 Wennberg 4.9 Bjorkstrand 2.5
Robinson 1 Nash 2.7 Hannikainen 1
Thurkauf/Bittner 1+1

Werenski 6.4 Jones 5.4
Murray 4.7 Nutivaara 2.5
Carlsson 1 Savard 4.7
Harrington 1

Bobrovsky 9m x 6y
Vehvilainen 1m

+2m Dubinsky buyout.

* Jackets protect 4F 4D in expansion and lose Jenner.

= 89m
If the cap is a little lower then there are a number of options to squeak through: 1) replace Bjorkstrand with Jonathan Davidsson 2&3) swap Wennberg or Nash for a cheaper center, 4) move Savard. In 2021 Foligno and Savard come off the books so the club will be fine then, but in 2022 Jones needs a new deal and that would require more salary to be cleared.

 

[EspenK]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Yes it could be done but I just think paying Bob 9 mm is too much and getting that close to the cap in order to do so is not a very good idea either.

 

[Viqsi]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Yes it could be done but I just think paying Bob 9 mm is too much and getting that close to the cap in order to do so is not a very good idea either.

That's what championship-caliber teams generally have to do.

 

[major major]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Yes it could be done but I just think paying Bob 9 mm is too much and getting that close to the cap in order to do so is not a very good idea either.

Bob is easily worth $9m at the moment and we can take on risk for the tail end of the contract if it means a better chance of winning the cup in the next 4 years. Either way, if you're trying to win the cup, you should be snug up against the cap and have to get a little creative to squeeze under it. Anything less is a waste of this opportunity.

 

[MoeBartoli]

I guess I have a different view than many here on Bob's upcoming free agency.

I'll start by saying Bobs value to the Jackets is like the credit card catch-line - "priceless". One of our pipeline goalies might change that, but right now the is no one on the team (Panarin included) who makes a bigger regular season difference.

But value is ultimately established in the marketplace. I think Carey Price's contract is an outlier, one that is being second-guessed in the league. The closest AAV is King Henry and although the actual salary is on a declining scale, the term makes it an $8.5M AAV questionable deal. So......

I don't think Bob's offers will exceed $8M unless it's a 3 or 4 year deal. And even then I don't see it exceeding $9M. If he's looking for a longer term, I think he's $7.5M or less AAV.

 

[Cyclones Rock]

I guess I have a different view than many here on Bob's upcoming free agency.

I'll start by saying Bobs value to the Jackets is like the credit card catch-line - "priceless". One of our pipeline goalies might change that, but right now the is no one on the team (Panarin included) who makes a bigger regular season difference.

But value is ultimately established in the marketplace. I think Carey Price's contract is an outlier, one that is being second-guessed in the league. The closest AAV is King Henry and although the actual salary is on a declining scale, the term makes it an $8.5M AAV questionable deal. So......

I don't think Bob's offers will exceed $8M unless it's a 3 or 4 year deal. And even then I don't see it exceeding $9M. If he's looking for a longer term, I think he's $7.5M or less AAV.

I think that your reasoning is sound. I think that your salary guidelines are reasonable. However...........

There are teams desperate for goaltending. Philadelphia and St. Louis come to mind immediately. Then there's Calgary, the Islanders, Edmonton and a few others which don't seem to be particularly strong in net. I think that one of these organizations will be willing to put aside the (seemingly) disastrous Price scenario and roll the dice on Bob. Most people seem to believe that the cap will continue to go up (FWIW, I'm skeptical about that). I think the combination of desperation and the thinking that the cap will continue to rise will give Bob a decent shot at $9M x 7 years. It'll be too tough to pass on a 2 time Vezina winner when you've had sieves in your net for years running.

 

[major major]

I don't think Bob's offers will exceed $8M unless it's a 3 or 4 year deal. And even then I don't see it exceeding $9M. If he's looking for a longer term, I think he's $7.5M or less AAV.

You were right when you said value is determined by the marketplace, and then it went off track badly.

Supply: The only multiple-Vezina winner hits UFA, a true rarity.

Demand: You already described him as "priceless" to the Jackets, so imagine how he appeals to a team that hasn't had good goaltending in a dozen years. There are several said teams in the running for Bob. The best Carolina has had in a dozen years is Curtis "McStarter" Mcelhinney. Calgary, Philly, St. Louis, etc...

That's the marketplace. These teams will surely have the Carey Price disaster on their minds. But the first thing on their minds will be the fact that they've lost season after season to bad goaltending.

And you're right that Henrik Lundqvist's contract is likely the best comparable to Bob's. But ask Rangers fans if it was worth it, and they'll tell you it was. The Rangers FO knew when they signed it that in the last couple years Henrik wouldn't be worth his cap hit. There's nothing "questionable" about the deal - all questions were answered when Henrik won about 10 playoff series with a middling roster in front of him.

 

[Kshahdoo]

We've covered this ad nauseum. The Jackets can definitely afford both Bob and Panarin, we'd just have to lose a lower priority player. One of Wennberg/Jenner etc... would be priced out by 2020-2021, and we will lose one of Murray /Nuti /Anderson /Jenner to Seattle anyways. When you're listing out the cap commitments to plan long term, start with the most important players (Bob) first and then squeeze in guys like Wennberg if you can.

Jones, btw, has 4 years left on his deal, which is important because he'll cost 10+ on his next one, not 7+!

In 2020-21

Panarin/? 11 Dubois 6 Atkinson 6
Duclair 2.5 Stenlund 2 Anderson 5.5
Foligno 5.5 Wennberg 4.9 Bjorkstrand 2.5
Robinson 1 Nash 2.7 Hannikainen 1
Thurkauf/Bittner 1+1

Werenski 6.4 Jones 5.4
Murray 4.7 Nutivaara 2.5
Carlsson 1 Savard 4.7
Harrington 1

Bobrovsky 9m x 6y
Vehvilainen 1m

+2m Dubinsky buyout.

* Jackets protect 4F 4D in expansion and lose Jenner.

= 89m
If the cap is a little lower then there are a number of options to squeak through: 1) replace Bjorkstrand with Jonathan Davidsson 2&3) swap Wennberg or Nash for a cheaper center, 4) move Savard. In 2021 Foligno and Savard come off the books so the club will be fine then, but in 2022 Jones needs a new deal and that would require more salary to be cleared.

One of those defensemen will probably be Gavrikov...

 

[MoeBartoli]

You were right when you said value is determined by the marketplace, and then it went off track badly.

Supply: The only multiple-Vezina winner hits UFA, a true rarity.

Demand: You already described him as "priceless" to the Jackets, so imagine how he appeals to a team that hasn't had good goaltending in a dozen years. There are several said teams in the running for Bob. The best Carolina has had in a dozen years is Curtis "McStarter" Mcelhinney. Calgary, Philly, St. Louis, etc...

That's the marketplace. These teams will surely have the Carey Price disaster on their minds. But the first thing on their minds will be the fact that they've lost season after season to bad goaltending.

And you're right that Henrik Lundqvist's contract is likely the best comparable to Bob's. But ask Rangers fans if it was worth it, and they'll tell you it was. The Rangers FO knew when they signed it that in the last couple years Henrik wouldn't be worth his cap hit. There's nothing "questionable" about the deal - all questions were answered when Henrik won about 10 playoff series with a middling roster in front of him.

The fans are indeed understandably happy......while the FO is going how do we get out of this now. As you know, it's not the prime tears that's the issue; it's those last year's that's the anchor. Maybe since they're in rebuilding mode, a multi-year process, its less an issue. But like CR said, there's always needy teams who'll open the purse....and for us, we could be that team and you could be right. "Anchors Aweigh!"

 

[major major]

The fans are indeed understandably happy......while the FO is going how do we get out of this now. As you know, it's not the prime tears that's the issue; it's those last year's that's the anchor. Maybe since they're in rebuilding mode, a multi-year process, its less an issue. But like CR said, there's always needy teams who'll open the purse....and for us, we could be that team and you could be right. "Anchors Aweigh!"

You know Moe, you and I just don't see eye to eye anymore. You had a golden opportunity to use the word "heppy" in a Bobrovsky thread and you blew it.

If I may respond seriously for a moment, there has been some talk about the Rangers wanting to unload Lundqvist, but it has nothing to do with his cap hit, as they have plenty of cap space. The issue is that he's too good, and messing up the tank. Lundqvist is still one of the better starters in the league and they just can't "lose for Hughes" with him in net. And if you've read my posts on goalies in their 30s, you'd know that Lundqvist's longevity is not exceptional - plenty of the best actually age better than Lundqvist.

I've read some goalie analysts talk about what kind of goalies age poorly, and it really has to do with hard impacts and accumulating injuries. One goalie guy commenting on Bobrovsky said his movements are very fluid (suggesting longevity) except for the hard splits on the groin. So my thinking now is: does the fact that Bob has a major history of groin injuries make him a bigger risk? Or does the fact that he's seemingly already made adjustments to protect his groin and stayed healthy for the last two years make him less of a risk?

 

[MoeBartoli]

You know Moe, you and I just don't see eye to eye anymore. You had a golden opportunity to use the word "heppy" in a Bobrovsky thread and you blew it.
?

Nah, I think we both agree he's "priceless". It's just a usual difference over the real price of priceless.

 

[Cyclones Rock]

Nah, I think we both agree he's "priceless". It's just a usual difference over the real price of priceless.

Can we agree that this price will be less than Price's price?

That was horrible. I know. I just had to.

 

[Madifer]

I predict a complete mental breakdown by Bob later this year. He may show glimpses of former greatness here and there, like the 5 game "good streak" but these will always by followed by increasingly deeper bottoms. Bob is on a path to become Bryz who was so frail that the spectators had to shout "IL-YAAA" to bring him out of balance.

Bob knows he needs to be very good this year and cant. Knowing he needs to be good isnt the same as "being good". The pressure is having the upperhand over his psyche and it will only get worse.



If he was a stock then Id buy way out of money puts.

 

[blahblah]

Bob is on a path to become Bryz who was so frail that the spectators had to shout "IL-YAAA" to bring him out of balance.

There was some truth to your post, but you had to go to the extreme position. This doesn't seem like an apt comparison and I've commented on his issues with his mental state, when he starts to slump, frequently.

 

[KJ Dangler]

Personally , I think the Bob situation comes to a head soon , and he submits a list of teams he will accept a trade to . He’s now had 2 games this season , giving up 8 goals in a game . He’s now sitting at 10-9 on the season , with a whopping 3.04gaa, and a save % of .901. This coupled with his age , playoff meltdowns , is going to tank his value . Not to mention that Montreal, by the day , is looking more and more foolish , for the stupid contract that they gave Price. And yes this will have an effect on the contract Bob gets . The above posts are just silly, trying to justify that Bob is worth 9 mill per season . Goalies get way too much credit , when things are going well, and way too much blame , when things are going bad . A goalie can only be as good as the defense , and system that’s played in front of them . And some of Bobs numbers this season , is not on him. The defense , and system in front of him has been bad at times. But as far as the future of this team, Bobs not in that future . Jarmo has made it pretty clear they feel they have a really deep team, can score with all their lines (assuming the coach actually utilizes that ), and that they are comfortable with either Merzlikins being the man next year , or that they go out and get a good solid option , at a much , much cheaper price . Ideally , they bring in a stop gap goalie , that’s solid , that takes the pressure off Merzlikins being ready next season , cost maybe 3 mill per season .

 

[Madifer]

There was some truth to your post, but you had to go to the extreme position. This doesn't seem like an apt comparison and I've commented on his issues with his mental state, when he starts to slump, frequently.

Im not foolish enough to consider that Im telling the truth, my post was a speculation/prediction and nothing more than that

 

[major major]

I'll take the other side of that bet on Bob's mental health.

I don't know if Bob's overall sv% will be ugly or what this year, but I don't foresee another goalie coming in and doing better than 2 or fewer goals against in most of his starts with this kind of defensive scheme (alarming number of high danger chances against). We'll be having a lot of conversations about Merzlikins' mental health if we put him in that situation.

 

[Cyclones Rock]

Whatever the cause(s), two 8 goals against outingss, a poor save percentages and GAA are not going to enhance Bob's bargaining power. I wonder if it's getting close to him asking for a trade-which he essentially has to given the No Movement Clause (NMC) in his contract.

If Korpi had played at even a mediocre level, I'd think that there would be a ton of speculation regarding Bob's short term future, but he hasn't which makes things even murkier.

 

[blahblah]

I'll take the other side of that bet on Bob's mental health.

I don't know if Bob's overall sv% will be ugly or what this year, but I don't foresee another goalie coming in and doing better than 2 or fewer goals against in most of his starts with this kind of defensive scheme (alarming number of high danger chances against). We'll be having a lot of conversations about Merzlikins' mental health if we put him in that situation.

Mental health seems extreme was well. I'm more referring to tendency to have a hard time getting out of his slumps, seems more confidence related than mechanical.

At this point I'm pretty tired about hearing what we think other goal tenders would or wouldn't do. It can't be proven either way. We can say, however, that Korp is in a bad spot. He's really not given enough ice time to really figure his game out. We should have had a veteran backup and Korp should either be in our system or another team.