Union and Blue
Fansided

Columbus Blue Jackets Odds of Retaining UFAs: Sergei Bobrovsky

By William Espy

COLUMBUS, OH - FEBRUARY 26: Sergei Bobrovsky #72 of the Columbus Blue Jackets is introduced to the crowd prior to the start of the game against the Pittsburgh Penguins on February 26, 2019 at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images)
COLUMBUS, OH - FEBRUARY 26: Sergei Bobrovsky #72 of the Columbus Blue Jackets is introduced to the crowd prior to the start of the game against the Pittsburgh Penguins on February 26, 2019 at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit

The Columbus Blue Jackets have an abundance of pending unrestricted free agents heading into the upcoming off-season, how likely is it that they’re able to retain their two time Vezina winning goaltender? Not very.

The Columbus Blue Jackets and general manager Jarmo Kekalainen are going to have their hands full this upcoming off-season, especially when it comes to attempting to retain Sergei Bobrovsky who appears to already have one foot out of Columbus.

My odds of retention for Bobrovsky are very low, with a 5% likelihood of him re-signing with the Blue Jackets. Even then, the percentage is only that high to account for a random re-signing as it is seemingly inching closer to 0% daily.

More from Union and Blue

He seemingly doesn’t want to be in Columbus going forward, and with the depth in goal organizationally it makes sense for the team to let him walk as well. Eventually it’s time to let the prospects play and see what you have for the future, as Bobrovsky won’t be in the NHL forever even if he were to stay.

With the price tag he’d demand, the fact that’s he’s currently having the second worst season in his career and his lackluster career playoff record, Sergei Bobrovsky wouldn’t be an ideal long term solution in goal anyway. He struggles against certain teams and can never come out on top against them, the Pittsburgh Penguins are the most recent example.

He’s yet to put the Blue Jackets past the first round of the playoffs, despite leading them to the playoffs annually at this point. He’s a big part of the reason why the Jackets are currently in a massive battle at the bottom of the division with the aforementioned Penguins and the Carolina Hurricanes rather than comfortably at the top.

Next. Life for the Columbus Blue Jackets After the Trade Deadline. dark

Sergei Bobrovsky is almost certainly going to be leaving Columbus as a free agent this off-season, unless something miraculously changes his mind.

Home/Editorials