newsweek
The Florida Panthers roster is chock full of talented scorers and a few capable defensemen, but if theres one area the team is lacking in its 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.
It looks like Sergei Bobrovsky is going to be leaving for free agency, Pagnotta said on NHL Tonight.
With Bobrovskys 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.
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.
Its likely hell 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 werent 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.