NHL Trade Rumors: Sergei Bobrovsky Heads to Columbus For NHL Draft Picks
As NHL Trade Rumors continue to swirl, the Columbus Blue Jackets have made a trade.
But it doesn't involve Rick Nash.
While rumors swirl around Nash, Jordan Staal, Bobby Ryan, Keith Yandle, and others, the first move made by Blue Jackets general manager Scott Howson was to acquire goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky from the Philadelphia Flyers for a package of draft picks. Howson confirmed to Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch that Philadelphia will receive the 45th and 117th picks in this year's draft, plus a fourth-round pick in next year's draft that originally belonged to the Phoenix Coyotes.
The 24-year-old Bobrovsky went 14-10-2 in net for the Flyers in 2011-12, posting a 3.02 goals-against average and .898 save percentage. He was stronger as a rookie, posting a 28-13-8 record with a 2.59 GAA and a .915 save percentage, but the upheaval that accompanied the Flyers' acquisition of Ilya Bryzgalov from the Coyotes was not helpful in his second year in the league. According to CapGeek.com, Bobrovsky carries a $1.75 million salary cap hit for 2012-13, after which he will become a free agent.
Columbus can certainly use the goaltending help, as Steve Mason struggled to a 16-26-3 record in 2011-12 with a 3.39 GAA and .894 save percentage, while Curtis Sanford emerged as a steadier option with a .911 save percentage and a 2.60 GAA. The Blue Jackets might have a goalie of the future in Allen York, who went 3-2 with a .919 save percentage and 2.30 GAA in 11 appearances, but his minor-league numbers left a lot to be desired, and he'll have more to prove before he's ready for extended NHL work.
For the Flyers, Bobrovsky was somewhat expendable with Bryzgalov in the fold, although the eccentric netminder isn't as steady as the Flyers would like him to be. Still, he's the starter for the foreseeable future, and a second-round pick and two fourth-rounders are a good haul in return for a backup goaltender.