The Florida Panthers are back in business. Kind of. Because amidst the injuries to Matthew Tkachuk and Sasha Barkov, there remains another question that lingers over the team, and that is the number of games that Sergei Bobrovsky plays. Their preseason game on Monday against the Carolina Hurricanes will be the first time that the fans will see the core players since securing their second consecutive Stanley Cup. The Panthers will have four remaining preseason games in the next six days between Sunrise, Orlando, and Tampa, building up veterans, and fine-tuning the lineups. However, in spite of the hype, the role of Bobrovsky is uncertain.

The 37-year-old goaltender, who appeared in 54 games last season, is expected to start Monday’s game. However, Head Coach Paul Maurice emphasized that Bobrovsky’s ice time is flexible. As shared on X by JamesonCoop, Maurice said, “It’s up to what Robbie [Tallas] and Sergei think he needs, what he wants to get accomplished in the game.”

In short, even after back-to-back Stanley Cups, the Panthers are being cautious, letting their star goalie dictate how much he plays. Bobrovsky is one of the older starting goalies in the NHL. His durability and ability to handle a heavy workload over a full season are natural concerns. Teams often manage veteran goaltenders more carefully, especially during the preseason.

Sergei Bobrovsky will be joined by veterans Jesper Boqvist, Jeff Petry, A.J. Greer, Uvis Balinskis, Jonah Gadjovich, Luke Kunin, and Mackie Samoskevich. However, several key names, including Sam Reinhart, Aaron Ekblad, Carter Verhaeghe, Sam Bennett, Seth Jones, Brad Marchand, Evan Rodrigues, Anton Lundell, Niko Mikkola, and Eetu Luostarinen, will sit out. In the meantime, Carolina will seek a taste of revenge, which will give her an advantage in a game that is, technically, only preseason. Bobrovsky’s preparation isn’t happening alone.

Robb Tallas, the goaltending coach who has been with the Panthers since 2009-10 and has survived 9 head coaches, 3 general managers, and numerous changes in the roster, gives some semblance of stability. The persistence of Tallas serves to mentor Bobrovsky so that Florida does not lose the most valuable job despite the preseason shakeup.

Maurice has been acclimatizing veterans to the camp grind, and now, as the final exhibition games approach, they are in the midst of it. But questions about the role of Bobrovsky are not new; it has been raised in the past.

Why Sergei Bobrovsky still sparks goaltending debate

The uncertainty around Sergei Bobrovsky’s spot in the Florida Panthers’ lineup isn’t new. It started in the 2024 playoffs and has carried into this preseason. Even though he helped lead Florida to its first Stanley Cup in franchise history, Bobrovsky had his ups and downs. He finished the playoffs with a 16-8 record, a 2.32 goals-against average, and a .906 save percentage over 24 games.

But Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final was a rough night. He allowed five goals on just 16 shots, and the coach pulled him from the game. This was the first time in the postseason that a coach pulled him without an extra attacker on the ice. Up until then, he had been a key factor in the Panthers’ success, so the sudden pull raised eyebrows everywhere.

Maurice tried to put it in perspective, saying, “[Bobrovsky] had enough,” Maurice said. “If you think you’re mounting a comeback, rarely does the goalie make a difference for you. There’s something that happens at the other end of the ice.” His teammates backed him up, too. Matthew Tkachuk made it clear: “Zero are the goalie’s fault. He’s been unbelievable all year, all playoffs. That was more of a wake-up call to the forwards and the D as opposed to Bob.”

Maurice echoed that view: “That was more of a wake-up call to the forwards and the D as opposed to [him].” Such moments are one of the reasons why the questions on the role of Sergei Bobrovsky have never disappeared in the story; it is one of the elements that the fans are following keenly as he enters 2025.