The Toronto Maple Leafs could be looking to make another move to bolster their crease with Sergei Bobrovsky emerging as a potential target, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.

Last week, the Leafs made a trade that sent Joseph Woll and Simon Benoit to the Philadelphia Flyers for Emil Andrae, Samuel Ersson, and a 2026 third-round pick. On the offset, it was a move done to free up an emerging logjam in the net while opening up room for the likes of Dennis Hildeby and Artur Akhtyamov. This was especially apparent when GM John Chayka was noncommittal about tendering a qualifying offer to Ersson, who is a pending RFA.

During Monday’s edition of 32 Thoughts: The Podcast, Friedman reported that not only is he not convinced the Leafs will qualify Ersson but instead try to bolster the position with an established name like Bobrovsky.

“ I think they’re looking in goal. [Jordan] Binnington, if he’s available, they’ll check it. [Connor] Hellebuyck,  I don’t know that it’s likely; they’ll check it,” he said.  ”Bobrovsky, don’t forget Anthony Stolarz won a Stanley Cup backing up Bobrovsky. Nobody knows him better. And Steve Lorentz was Bobrovsky’s shooter,  he’s Bobrovsky’s guy.  He will always be loyal to Bobrovsky because Bobrovsky kept him in the NHL ’cause he would go shoot on him every morning.”

Friedman added that he wouldn’t be shocked if Bobrovsky potentially ended up being the Leafs’ guy, with the only thing that they need to worry about being money.

The Leafs’ targeting Bobrovsky is a fascinating development for this offseason for a multitude of reasons. It appeared after the Woll trade that the Leafs would elevate their younger goalies to larger roles, but them looking at veteran netminders suggests they are not fully sold on a tandem of Stolarz, Hildeby, and Akhtyamov. While it is unclear if they will indeed get one of the three netminders Friedman listed, it is safe to assume the Leafs feel internally that any of those are an improvement over what Woll provided.

Bobrovsky would bring ample playoff experience, as he played a large role in the Florida Panthers reaching three consecutive Stanley Cup Finals appearances and two straight Cup wins. This past season saw him post a record of 27-23-1, a .877 SV%, a 3.07 GAA, and four shutouts on an injury-ridden Panthers team. The major cause for concern is that Bobrovsky is in the twilight of his career, as he will turn 38 before the start of the 2026-27 season and it’s hard to know exactly how many more years of service he has left as an effective NHL goalie. Especially given the fact that he is reportedly seeking a six-year deal with an AAV around $5.5 million.

As far as what else the Leafs have up their sleeve as the offseason rolls on, Friedman feels that Chayka is sitting on one or two moves that would change the makeup of the team though he’s not fully convinced it will involve Matthew Knies.

“ A guy on another team who I trust the most said they think Toronto could go either way. They said that they’re happy to keep him; he’s a good player. They’re happy to keep them, and they’ll make you work to get them,” Friedman continued. “ I think he’s only getting traded if you look at the deal and you say, ‘Oh, okay, I understand why that happened.’  But someone said to me that the Leafs have indicated they’ll be happy to keep him.  They sure don’t feel pressure to move him. They could, but they don’t feel pressure to do it.”

Knies’ name has been swirling in trade rumours for weeks since word got out he was nearly dealt to the Montreal Canadiens at the trade deadline. Many assumed that the rumours would subside with Brad Treliving out of the picture, but they did not even after Chayka took over. Yet it appears that it is a case of the Leafs looking to try and take advantage of a team making a desperate offer that is too good to pass up, rather than them actually wanting to move him.

It’s not to say Knies will be guaranteed to remain with the Leafs come the start of next season because Chayka may get an offer that he can’t refuse, such as a package with a top-pairing defenceman or a top-six centre. But unless a team gets to that point, it is more likely than not that Knies gets through to the end of the offseason and is still on the Leafs.