Hockey Patrol is pointing to online rumors that Sergei Bobrovsky may be considering a return to Russia while the Maple Leafs struggle.
Toronto signed the goaltender this summer to a three-year, $21 million deal, hoping he would settle a crease that has been unstable for a while. Instead, the Leafs are 8-11-2 and have lost five in a row.
Put it this way, noting that nothing has been confirmed but that the timing is interesting.
That's the whole substance of it for now: chatter online, no named source and no word from Bobrovsky or the team. Nobody with a reporter's credentials has attached a name to it.
Still, you can see why it travels. Bobrovsky has played 13 games for Toronto this season, and the results around him have been ugly. Thursday's 5-2 loss to the Minnesota Wild was the latest.
Our Bobrovsky and the Leafs collapse against Colorado coverage on Tuesday dealt with a 6-3 loss to the Avalanche, and the slide has only continued since.
Is there anything to the Bobrovsky rumors?
Not on what's available right now. A goalie who just signed a three-year contract with a new club doesn't usually start planning an exit after a rough month, and a rumor that rests on vibes and bad timing deserves to be treated that way.
The Leafs have allowed 75 goals in 21 games, and it would be lazy to hang all of that on the man in the crease. A 6-foot-2 veteran with 819 regular-season games behind him isn't the only reason this team is 7th in the Atlantic Division.
Bobrovsky's contract also runs through the 2028-29 season, so any move overseas would be a major decision for him and for Toronto. Nothing says that conversation is happening.
Toronto hosts the Edmonton Oilers tonight, and the Leafs haven't said who will start in goal. If Bobrovsky gets the net, he'll do it with the rumor attached.
This article was written with the help of artificial intelligence, based on public reports and official sources.
Is there anything to the Bobrovsky rumors?
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