SUNRISE — Florida Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk called departed goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky “the backbone” of back-to-back Stanley Cup championship teams, saying the franchise will feel his absence even as it welcomes replacement Jacob Markstrom from the New Jersey Devils.
Tkachuk made the remarks on the Wingmen podcast he hosts with his brother and new Panthers teammate Brady Tkachuk, as Florida Hockey Now reported. The comments came months after Tkachuk’s impassioned plea at the end of the regular season to keep Bobrovsky in Sunrise.
“Obviously, all of our lives have changed forever since the Cups. Our lives would have been the exact same [because] we wouldn’t have won without him,” Tkachuk said. “He kept us in so many games that we didn’t deserve to be in, and he won us a lot of games that we didn’t deserve to win. Just an outstanding teammate. … I’m going to miss him a ton.”
Bobrovsky spent four seasons with the Panthers, backstopping the club to three consecutive Stanley Cup Final appearances and championships in 2024 and 2025. After contract negotiations broke down, the Panthers moved on and acquired Markstrom from New Jersey. Bobrovsky signed a three-year, $21 million deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs as a free agent.
To land Markstrom, the Panthers traded Evan Rodrigues and Jesper Boqvist to the Devils. Rodrigues signed a four-year deal with Florida in 2023 and helped win both Cups. Tkachuk called him “such a Swiss Army knife” and praised his playoff performances. “We are not winning the Cup without him. He was that good,” Tkachuk said. “One of my first texts to him was I really hope our paths cross again. I just love playing with him so much.” Rodrigues becomes a free agent after the coming season.
Tkachuk acknowledged the emotional whiplash of the offseason moves. “Mixed emotions,” he said. “You’re sad for a bit, but also happy that we get to play with Marky. I played with him in Calgary, and that last year, he was maybe the best goalie in the league.” Tkachuk said the two have already video chatted multiple times since the trade and that Markstrom is working his way into the team’s card games. “Not your normal goalie,” Tkachuk said. “He’s a F-ing beauty.”
Following the season-ending 8-1 win over the Detroit Red Wings in Sunrise, Tkachuk had lobbied publicly to retain Bobrovsky. “We cannot lose him. He’s our guy. He is going to get us back to where we want to be,” Tkachuk said at the time. “It’s the character, the work ethic, the drive. He sets the tone on and off the ice. I don’t care what age he is, he is the backbone of this team.”
The Panthers will open training camp with Markstrom as their new starter and Brady Tkachuk on the roster after his offseason acquisition, as the franchise pursues a third consecutive championship.