00:00So, yesterday, I read a story.
00:03I first saw a tweet.
00:05Shout out to my guy, Keith.
00:08Even though I shouldn't shout him out because he broke my heart.
00:10But Keith sent me a thing on Instagram, and I was like, it was a tweet from one of those
00:16hockey aggregates, right?
00:18And I was like, I've never heard of this person reporting this story, so I got to look into this.
00:26But it was a story that got a lot of traction yesterday in all the hockey blogs, and it was
00:33reported by somebody who I've never heard of, but is followed by credible hockey people, so I don't think that
00:40they're making it up.
00:42So, it was reported by RG.org.
00:45I guess it's a Canadian website.
00:48And it's from somebody named Daria Tubalseva.
00:57And it's a story about Sergey Bobrovsky.
01:01And this is what the story says.
01:03It says that Sergey Bobrovsky nearly stayed with the Panthers and was ready to take a pay cut to make
01:09it happen, but a dispute over no trade clause pushed him to sign with the Toronto Maple Leafs instead.
01:15She writes, Sergey Bobrovsky's move to the Toronto Maple Leafs was maybe the biggest and most talked about signing of
01:21the offseason.
01:21The Russian goalie signed a three-year deal worth about $7 million per season.
01:26A source close to the situation told RG that Bobrovsky, 37, hoped until the last moment to stay in Florida
01:33and was ready to take a significant pay cut for the club.
01:37The Panthers first offered him a one-year deal worth $4 million.
01:42Jeez.
01:43They later improved it to a two-year deal at $6 million per season, similar to Jacob Markstrom's contract.
01:51Bobrovsky was fine with the money, but wanted a full no trade clause included.
01:57Florida general manager Bill Zito wouldn't agree to that and was only willing to offer a partial no trade clause.
02:03After that, Florida talks broke down, but Bobrovsky decided to continue his career with Toronto.
02:09So, so that is, so it really wasn't about the money.
02:12It wasn't about the money.
02:13Sergey Bobrovsky, according to this report, again, I've never heard of the reporter, but you know, hockey, it's, it's all
02:20over the place in the hockey world.
02:22Um, according to this report, Sergey was willing to take a significant pay cut.
02:27And I will say, Bob said on the day that he got, when he talked about the Toronto Maple Leafs,
02:33he's like, I really thought I was staying in Florida.
02:37Up until they traded for Markstrom, he goes, I didn't think that I was leaving, which to me sounds like
02:41a guy who made pretty big concessions and was willing to come back.
02:45But what are the, what, but the, the only, it seems like the only hangup here was the no trade
02:50clause.
02:51Right.
02:51Which why would you, if you're Bill Zito, the way you've done business, why would you do that?
02:57I don't know.
02:58I don't know.
02:59Would you have done it?
03:00A no trade clause for Bob?
03:02Absolutely.
03:02He's had a no trade clause for the last seven years.
03:05Yeah, but he's not, it's not seven years ago.
03:08Okay.
03:09But like if Bob's whole thing is, I want to be in Florida and let's just say his ask went
03:14all the way down from whatever it was to, okay, under the under market value for him.
03:21Right.
03:22Um, cause he ends up signing for, you know, seven, uh, three years, 21.
03:29So he is willing to make some concessions.
03:31All he wants is the security that he's going to be in Florida.
03:34Clearly the big thing that mattered to him was I want to be in Florida for two years for two
03:40years.
03:40Right.
03:42Yeah, man.
03:42I would have given him the no trade clause.
03:44Yeah.
03:44Would have given him the no trade clause.
03:45Okay.
03:45So I'm bothered by it.
03:48I don't know why I asked you these questions though, because if it's somebody you like or really like, and
03:57that's the case with Bob, there's really not going to be a scenario where you say they should have let
04:05him.
04:06Well, let me ask you as somebody who's been more, I'm going to trust management on this.
04:10You are going into a year now with Jacob Markstrom for two years, who has not been on the stage
04:17that Bobrovsky has.
04:18If you had the choice, would you rather have him?
04:20Who's not young, by the way, he's 36.
04:23So you have a choice between Sergey Bobrovsky for the next two years at that number, uh, or Jacob Markstrom,
04:32who are you just straight up taking for two years?
04:34I think for the way the Panthers have done business, that I would be pretty consistent with having that flexibility
04:42of just trading what it's not that you're going to, but to have that flexibility just to being able to
04:52trade them.
04:53Yeah.
04:54Yeah.
04:56That's crazy.
04:57Okay.
04:57But, but here's, here's the deal.
05:02We'll see how well it works out.
05:08Like you're saying that this team would have been better with Bob.
05:15And if they go on to win a championship, then.
05:21Yeah.
05:21I mean, yes, Leroy, obviously we will see.
05:23I'm asking you though, this does, does this not change things for you at all?
05:26That the fact that the number was down to that number, the same thing of, of paying an unproven goalie
05:31as opposed to him.
05:32It was shocking that I heard from that article that Bob would have taken 6 million for two years.
05:43Yep.
05:43So in effect, he was giving up a whole year at 7 million, which he didn't end up giving up.
05:52However, he wanted a no trade clause.
05:55When you say I want a no trade clause for two years and the team is still reluctant, that probably
06:02means they really didn't want you in the first place.
06:04That's what it sounds like.
06:05It sounds like a good deal.
06:05Yeah.
06:06It does sound like they didn't want him.
06:08Like they just don't believe in him anymore.
06:09Right.
06:10And so, and if that's the case, it's one of those situations where you're not going to know who's right
06:19until it plays out.
06:21I know.
06:21It's very frustrating.
06:23Right.
06:23But that's how sports work sometimes.
06:25But the thing is, no matter what with Bob, and I think this is the thing is, is it, it's
06:29such a sensitive position.
06:30Like we see every year, like it feels like almost every contender is going through.
06:36Do you bench him?
06:37Do you keep him going?
06:38Do you bench him?
06:38Do you keep?
06:39And I just know, like the thing that I just don't think you can buy is that experience, that championship
06:46experience and knowing that.
06:47Yes.
06:47Dude, even if it's a five, even if it's a four, four game and it's high, you know that the
06:52guy's been in every spot and he's not going to buckle.
06:55Can I just say this?
07:00You more than any of my friends, right?
07:06You get caught up on what a player has done and not what he will do.
07:14And as you get older, the what he will do becomes more and more of a question mark.
07:20It just does.
07:21For certain guys.
07:22It just does.
07:23Okay, but hear me out on this.
07:24There are certain positions in sports and certain guys where it is a keep cool under a situation.
07:30Tom Brady kept it going because there's just nobody you'd want in a winning situation more than him.
07:36A LeBron James, all the experience that he has exceptions to the history of this sport.
07:41But this guy is he's not like he's he's a two time.
07:44He's a two time Vesna winner.
07:46He's a two time Stanley Cup champion, been there three times, probably should have won a Conn Smythe.
07:51Like, is that like at what point do you have to what other accolade do I have to throw on
07:55his on his resume?
07:57Here's what I'm gonna say.
08:00I'm not mad at the Panthers and I would probably do the same thing from this standpoint.
08:07I'm not saying that he won't be good.
08:11I'm not saying he can't do it.
08:14I'm saying that it's a bit risky for me.
08:18And so I would pass.
08:20See, for me, I'm not going to give up any concessions with a guy who, yeah, I want him, but
08:25I don't think I have to have.
08:27See, my thing is, I feel like.
08:31You may end up having a bit like a good regular season with Markstrom.
08:34It's the question of what's going to happen when you're down to one in a series and the cheeks get
08:39tight.
08:39What's going to happen in those situations?
08:41Do I have the trust in him to be able to do that?
08:44That's what I really.
08:45But again, as players get older, how much can you rely on that?
08:51Like you and Mike, this is the only issue I have.
08:55You think that Bob will be Bob as long as you need him to.
09:02And I'm saying that when it goes south.
09:07It goes south rapidly.
09:10So you go, oh, no, I don't.
09:13I'm not saying he's not going to be any good.
09:15I'm saying I understand people not wanting to risk having that fall off when you have built a team that
09:22can win a championship.
09:24OK, so tomorrow's game seven.
09:25Who are you starting tomorrow?
09:27Who's the goalie for the Panthers?
09:29I'm asking you.
09:30I'm asking you.
09:31You're starting Markstrom.
09:32Yeah, you just lost game seven.
09:35Congratulations.
09:36OK, but see, like the things that you're saying, the things you are saying about Markstrom, you don't know either.
09:45Because you're talking about what Bob has done.
09:48Yeah, that's right.
09:49He's done it.
09:49It's Bill Zito's job to try to think and figure out what Bob is going to going to do.
09:56Well, he better be right.
09:57He better be right because he's honestly he's been right.
10:00OK, has he not?
10:02Pat Riley, dude, Pat Riley signed Dion Waiters and Hassan Whiteside to long term contracts.
10:07Every great GM has misses.
10:08Every one of them.
10:09Every one of them.
10:10Every one of them.
10:11The bad for now.
10:13So if he's wrong.
10:16I say you missed that.
10:17OK.
10:19Will you tell me where you say, Tobes, you were right about Bob?
10:22Yeah.
10:23Yeah, absolutely.
10:25Again, you're missing the point.
10:28I'm not saying that Bob won't be good.
10:33Right.
10:34I'm not saying he's done.
10:36What I am saying is that you're not.
10:40You're risking too much for the fall off.
10:45What are you risking?
10:46What was the risk that he that he needs?
10:48That he's terrible and you end up it cost you because you went one year too long.
10:54Most GMs don't listen.
10:56Most GMs get out early rather than late.
10:59OK, but in the scenario of this, if you were willing to give him the money, but not the no
11:03trade clause and they were in a situation where you could have been like, oh, we want
11:07to we want to move on.
11:09Like, let's say the Panthers suck this year.
11:10Barkoff's porcelain, which isn't going to happen.
11:13Right.
11:14Like, you're obviously not that much of a genius.
11:16You just quibbled on the idea of I don't have any outs here and that you don't trust him
11:20in that.
11:21And for him, like, if we're sitting here and the Panthers really offered him a one year
11:25deal for four million dollars, like you thought that he fell off that badly.
11:30I mean, I just don't know, man.
11:32I think that's I think that's crazy.
11:34All I'm saying is this most GMs get out a year early versus a year late.
11:45And especially where this franchise is.
11:48And I would say maybe the feeling around the building was it will take him if it's, you
11:55know, to use one of your terms.
11:58On the cheap skis.
12:00And I'm not saying that that's a cheap contract, but then he starts making demands.
12:04I want a no trade clause.
12:05Absolutely not.
12:06That's that.
12:07And that's probably how the conversation went.
12:09So I can understand how it went south.
12:12But again.
12:14If they win a championship and Bob has a great year, it's a win win.
12:20If they don't win a championship and we say it's because of the goalie and Bob ends up having
12:29a great season, then we can say, while I understand you trying to get out early, it didn't work
12:36out because Bob had another one of his years.
12:40It happens a lot.
12:42It happens in a lot of sports.
12:45So, like, to say that, oh, they're cutting ties with Bob, for whatever reason, I can understand
12:56it.
12:56He's a little bit older.
12:59I think it's a mistake.
13:01I think he's with those exceptions.
13:02And again, here's what sucks about this argument, is we're going to have this argument all year
13:08when Bob has a sick save and when Markstrom lets one go through the wickets?
13:15Well, listen, I don't want to go into a season rooting against Markstrom.
13:18I want to just root for the Panthers.
13:20But I just think that this is, you know, the more I read about it, because the way the
13:24Panthers try to get out in front of this and say, hey, Bob wants the sun and stars.
13:27And now it turned out, no, he actually conceded a lot.
13:31All he wanted was just the comfort that he was going to be in Florida for two years, because
13:34that's what he wanted.
13:36Like, I can't promise you what's going to happen in a year.
13:39All right.
13:39Fine.
13:40But that's fine.
13:41But you gave, you gave Brad Marchand five years, you know, like you gave, you gave the
13:46comfort of that and he got, he broke down by the middle of last year.
13:50So, you know, like, it's not like he didn't, it's not like he didn't relent on anything.
13:54But you just said goalie is, is way more important than shouldn't you be more careful with just
14:03throwing money at, you know, that one guy.
14:07Well, that's why, that's why I want the certainty.
14:09Like, I want, like, I think the problem here is the Panthers are betting against age and
14:15I'm, I, I think in that position and because of how sensitive playoff hockey is, I'd rather
14:22have the experience.
14:24I'd rather have the experience knowing how that guy is shot, shot, because these games
14:28can get crazy rather than we see every single year, Leroy, the other teams are dealing with
14:32head cases.
14:33I think, I think you do this a lot in sports that you think a guy is going to do
14:40it forever.
14:43And, and, and when, when it comes to a screeching halt and you think of all the guys that you
14:49thought were going to keep doing it when they couldn't, it looked bad.
14:54And, and, and so I'm not mad at a team for thinking of getting ahead of that, right?
15:01I'm not going to be, I'm not going to be upset about that.
15:04Even if Bob ends up having a better year, because that's what teams like good organizations
15:13get out from under that before and not be stuck with it after.
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