Sergei Bobrovsky has given Jim Hiller a major crease bet, and one of Toronto's newest hires believes his body can handle it.
Andy O'Brien, hired to lead the Maple Leafs' Sport Performance department, has worked with Bobrovsky before and offered a striking assessment of the veteran goaltender's physical condition.
O'Brien said Bobrovsky's biological age is younger than his chronological age, crediting the netminder's conditioning habits and lack of typical wear for a goalie approaching 40.
That matters because Toronto committed 3 years and $21,000,000 to Bobrovsky this summer. The contract asks the Leafs to trust his body deep into his late 30s.
There is real performance risk attached. Bobrovsky is coming off a season in which he posted an .877 save percentage, putting even more focus on whether he can rebound in Toronto.
But O'Brien's previous experience with him gives the Leafs a perspective other clubs evaluating Bobrovsky from the outside may not have possessed.
" Sergei Bobrovsky is one of my favorite people to be around. He's in his late 30s, but his biological age is younger than his chronological age, if you ask me.
He has a relatively young body because he takes such good care of himself. He doesn't have the same wear and tear as a lot of goalies his age. I'm a big fan of Bob as a person and as an athlete. "
-
Maple Leafs knew something about Sergei Bobrovsky the rest of the NHL didn't
O'Brien described a goaltender who invests heavily in his conditioning and recovery, with extensive on-ice work and multiple training sessions forming part of his routine.
That doesn't guarantee Bobrovsky will avoid regression. Goaltenders can lose performance even while remaining healthy, and Toronto still needs the veteran to deliver once the regular-season workload starts.
The attraction is durability. If Bobrovsky can take on 50 or more starts, Hiller gets a defined No. 1 instead of spending the season searching for answers in the crease.
Toronto's performance department should now have a direct role in managing that workload, from conditioning and sports science to recovery and injury rehabilitation.
The interesting part is that O'Brien isn't evaluating Bobrovsky from a distance. His comments come from someone familiar with how the goaltender trains and maintains his body.
That makes Toronto's 3-year commitment easier to understand. The Leafs didn't erase the age risk, but they now employ someone who strongly believes Bobrovsky's physical condition doesn't match the number on his birth certificate.
The contract will still be judged by saves, starts and playoff results. But before Bobrovsky even reaches training camp, Toronto has received a strong internal endorsement of the biggest question attached to its new starter: whether his body can hold up.
Source : The Maple Leafs have been given information on Sergei Bobrovsky other teams did not have
Will Sergei Bobrovsky remain a dependable NHL starter throughout his Toronto contract?
Also read on Markerzone.com:
Confirmation on what the Detroit Red Wings are likely receiving in exchange for Dylan Larkin
