Welcome to another edition of NHL Rumours here at Last Word on Hockey. It has been a whirlwind the last couple of days as deals begin to come in through the wire and rumours pick up even more steam.
In this edition, the spotlight will shine on the Florida Panthers and their purported sell-off following another disastrous outing on Tuesday night against the New Jersey Devils.
NHL Rumours Suggest Sergei Bobrovsky Could Be on Trade Block
Rumour: The Florida Panthers skid coming out of the Olympic break has all but derailed the Cats’ path to the playoffs. So, it seems the team is ready to pivot and sell at the NHL trade deadline. As such, the team’s impending unrestricted free agents (UFAs) could be the first to go. That situation could point towards bottom-six forward A.J. Greer and starting netminder Sergei Bobrovsky on the block, according to insider Pierre LeBrun.
Analysis: While Greer would make sense as a trade chip, the most tantalizing bit of these NHL rumours is Bobrovsky potentially hitting the market. Now, realistically speaking, it’s tough to envisage Bobrovsky hitting the market this late in the trade deadline season.
The Panthers lost again last night and my understanding is they've made the decision to be sellers as far as listening on pending UFAs, which most notably include the likes of AJ. Greer and Sergei Bobrovsky.
Bobrovsky has a 16-team no-trade list. Doesn't mean he will be dealt…— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) March 4, 2026
The 36-year-old is in the final year of his contract. And while a team like the Montreal Canadiens would be giddy to land a goalie like Bobrovsky, the runway looks really tight to make a deal work.
Perhaps there might still be enough time to work out a framework and then hammer out the details in the run-up to the deadline. However, it doesn’t seem likely that Bobrovsky will be part of more than just NHL rumours at this point.
Panthers, Bobrovsky Discussing Extension
Another notable insider, David Pagnotta, added to the NHL rumours surrounding Bobrovsky. He posited that the Panthers’ goalie would like to remain in South Florida. That shouldn’t be a surprise given how the former Vezina Trophy winner has thrived with the Cats.
According to Pagnotta, the two sides are discussing a potential extension. However, the Russian netminder wants a long-term deal. That’s a bit ambiguous, as “long term” could refer to a deal north of four years.
Some notes on some of the chatter out there:
– Blues believed to want Desnoyers in big package from Utah for Thomas
– Bobrovsky wants lengthy extension with Florida
– NYR have an offer on table for Trocheck (Wild?); seeing if they can top it
– Some think Hagens joins Bs this szn— David Pagnotta (@TheFourthPeriod) March 4, 2026
If that were the case, such a deal would take Bobrovsky into his age-40 season. Nevertheless, that’s something the Panthers might have to do in order to keep his AAV down.
It’s unclear at this point if the rumours hold any water regarding an extension. Throughout this season, there hasn’t been much chatter surrounding a potential extension for Bobrovsky. So, it’s fair to assume that will be an offseason discussion.
With the Panthers likely missing the postseason, the team will have a chance to get a head start on the offseason and potentially work something out. Perhaps that situation could buy the club enough time to figure out a deal. If the two sides fail, a trade ahead of the 2026 NHL Draft could be on the table.
As Elliotte Friedman always says, one phone call can change everything. With the Canadiens being awfully quiet thus far, it wouldn’t be completely insane to see them pull a last-minute blockbuster.
