Canadiens Trade Rumors: Montreal Leads Race For Bobrovsky Over Oilers, Sharks

Less than a year after backstopping the Florida Panthers to a second consecutive Stanley Cup, Sergei Bobrovsky is on the trade market.

TSN’s Pierre LeBrun broke the news Wednesday morning: Florida has officially decided to listen to deals for its pending unrestricted free agents, with Bobrovsky the most notable name available. He holds a 16-team no-trade list on his expiring $10 million cap hit.

“Doesn’t mean he will be dealt for sure,” LeBrun cautioned. “Just means Florida is listening.”

If Bobrovsky is truly available, the Montreal Canadiens will be one of the teams paying closest attention.

For the Montreal Canadiens, that’s all they needed to hear.

Sergei Bobrovsky Next Team Odds

*odds via BetOnline

Why Montreal Wants Him

The Canadiens are building toward becoming a perennial Stanley Cup contender. With a young core headlined by Nick Suzuki, Lane Hutson, Cole Caufield, Juraj Slafkovsky, and Ivan Demidov arriving, the front office knows this window is opening fast. 

The one persistent question mark has been goaltending. 

Samuel Montembeault, Jacob Fowler, and Jakub Dobes have rotated through the crease all season, and while none have been disastrous, none have inspired confidence either. If this team is going to become a legitimate Cup contender, they need an anchor. Bobrovsky, even at 37, is that kind of name.

The playoff version of Bobrovsky is what Montreal is buying. His full-season numbers this year are a career-low .873 save percentage, but context matters. Captain Aleksander Barkov has not played a single game due to a knee injury, and Matthew Tkachuk didn’t return until January. 

Bobrovsky has been left exposed behind a decimated roster. The goaltender who posted a .912 save percentage across 66 playoff games since 2023, including a .919 in last year’s Finals, is still in there. 

That’s the version the Canadiens are betting on.

The Salary Cap Math

Montreal’s cap situation is tight but workable. The team currently carries limited space, but moving Patrik Laine and Samuel Montembeault before the deadline could free up meaningful room. 

With double-retention no longer permitted under the CBA, any team acquiring Bobrovsky would absorb a $5 million cap hit assuming Florida retains half. That number is manageable for Montreal if the right pieces move first.

The asking price from Florida won’t be cheap. GM Bill Zito is not giving away a two-time Stanley Cup champion for a mid-round pick. Per multiple reports, a realistic package would include 50% salary retention from Florida, a first-round pick, a secondary pick, and a prospect. 

Montreal has the assets to get this done. Whether they’re willing to spend them on a one-year rental is the real question.

Why a Sergei Bobrovsky Trade May Not Happen

There are two significant ones. First, a February report stated that sources confirmed no inquiries had come from Montreal and that Bobrovsky’s camp had no interest in waiving his no-trade clause for a move there. 

Those reports pre-date Florida’s official decision to listen, and the situation may have shifted, but they can’t be ignored. 

Bobrovsky himself told Florida Hockey Now earlier this season that he has no desire to leave. “I love this team, love the city, love the organization,” he said. “I don’t really think about the future.” His no-trade list gives him veto power over half the league. No matter what Montreal and Florida agree to, Bobrovsky has the final say.

Second, his numbers are genuinely down. Some analysts have noted that Bobrovsky’s current save percentage (.873) is barely better than what Montreal already has in-house with Montembeault (.874) and Dobes (.889). If the bounce-back doesn’t come, the Canadiens will have surrendered a first-round pick for a declining veteran on an expiring deal.

The Canadiens have also been linked to Nashville Predators center Ryan O’Reilly, but Montreal might not be able to acquire both players at the deadline.

The Oilers Are Lurking

Montreal isn’t alone. 

The Edmonton Oilers sit at +300 and their need is arguably more desperate. Tristan Jarry has posted a .863 save percentage since arriving from Pittsburgh and allowed 14 goals in his last three starts.

 Edmonton’s front office knows it cannot waste another year of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl’s prime with that kind of goaltending. The irony writes itself: Bobrovsky is the man who denied the Oilers the Cup in back-to-back Finals, and now Edmonton may have to pay to bring him in.

Their cap situation is tighter than Montreal’s, though. With only $200,000 in space until Andrew Mangiapane is moved, a deal would realistically require Jarry heading to Florida as part of the package. That’s a complicated transaction to execute before a 3 PM deadline.

The Bottom Line

Montreal has the assets, the need, and the organizational momentum to make this trade make sense. The obstacles are real, but so is the opportunity. A goaltender of Bobrovsky’s playoff pedigree doesn’t become available often, and the Canadiens know it.

The biggest variable isn’t the asking price or the cap math. It’s Bobrovsky himself. He holds the cards, he’s happy in South Florida, and he turns 37 today, on deadline day. After three straight Finals appearances, he has earned the right to decide what comes next.

By the time the deadline clock hits zero, the Canadiens’ Stanley Cup hopes may hinge on Bobrovsky’s decision