Sergei Bobrovsky. While you may not know the name now, I promise that you will by the end of this article and will remember it for a long time. He is supposed to be the next great goaltender of the Philadelphia Flyers. Bobrovsky is hoping to fly in lineage with the likes of Bernie Parent, Pelle Lindbergh and Ron Hextall.
The Flyers may not have to wonder who their goalie is for much longer with “Bob” sweeping through town. The “Bob” Phenomenon will take the city of Philadelphia by storm very soon, providing them with a top-flight goaltender for the first time in a long time.
The young Russian prospect, with the right guidance, will be a star in this league for many years. Under the tutelage of Flyers’ Goalie Coach Jeff Reese, among others, Bobrovsky will flourish. Reese has already done wonders in rejuvenating Michael Leighton which paid off last season.
Bobrovsky presents a different type of net minder than the ordinary ones that Flyer fans have been graced with. The mediocrity of guys like Robert Esche, Sean Burke, and countless others, was solid enough, but ultimately could never deliver a Stanley Cup. Leighton nearly did it, but he too proves to be nothing more than an ordinary goalie who rode a hot-streak. That being said, Leighton is a good goalie at best, nothing more, nothing less. Bobrovsky though, at least right now, appears to be the long-term answer for Philadelphia in net. This is something new to Philadelphia as they have not established a goalie in such a way in quite some time.
The KHL was a good preparatory program for the young Russian as it has been for many others who have catapulted to the NHL. There’s a certain launching pad that the KHL represents to its players that comes with much promise; the promise of one day playing in the NHL. Though, in Bobrovsky’s case, his story is even more impressive when considering that the KHL is a league that puts out more scorers than anything else.
Now with Michael Leighton out for at least a month, Bobrovsky just might make the opening night roster backing up veteran Brian Boucher. Bobrovsky or Swede Johan Backlund should get the duty of back-up goalie. Either way though, don’t expect Bobrovsky to take a backseat for much longer as he will be the starter one day very soon.
Bobrovsky provides a great sense of poise even at the keen age of 22 and will only continue to grow. While there is a ton of room for improvement, most of the mechanics seem to be solid and just his natural goaltending instincts are there already. He will be a gem for the Flyers and credit GM Paul Holmgren with a sensational find out of Russia.
It’s no wonder the Flyers spent no off-season money on starting goaltending. Bobrovsky has shown them that much already in a short period of time. He will most likely take the reins after Leighton’s contract is up, or who knows, maybe even sooner?
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