Panthers have just given Bobrovsky an insane new contract.

For the Florida Panthers this probably feels like a huge win, meanwhile everyone else is waiting to see just how bad this deal is going to look in a couple of years.

According to a report from TSN National Hockey League insider Pierre LeBrun it appears that the Florida Panthers and former Columbus Blue Jackets star goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky have agreed to terms on a brand new deal. LeBrun has also shared the staggering terms of that contract with Bobrovsky reportedly set to earn a massive $70 million over the course of the next 7 years of his NHL career. This officially makes him the second richest goaltender in the National Hockey League behind only Carey Price of the Montreal Canadiens and only by a margin of $500,000.

Of course one need look no further than to the Florida Panthers organization itself to see how signing goaltenders to long term contracts can have rather unfortunate implications further down the road. Earlier this summer Florida Panthers goaltender Roberto Luongo retired after a long and successful career in the National Hockey League, but the Vancouver Canucks are still on the hook for the albatross that has been his contract over the last several years. 

Luongo of course infamously signed a 12 year contract all the way back in September of 2009 in which he was given an average annual value of $5.33 million per season. Luongo of course never made it to the end of his contract prior to retiring and although he has long since been traded off the Canucks roster, that organization is still on the hook for his recapture penalties due to retirement.

I can not possibly envision a scenario in which Bobrovsky remains an elite goaltender for another 7 years, and certainly not one worthy of a salary of $10 million per season. The Florida Panthers however are obviously quite confident in Bobrovsky, which is fine, I just think that history has shown that long term deals to goaltenders do not usually work out in the best interest of the team

It is also worth noting that Luongo was 30 when he signed his deal, and did play for 10 more years in the NHL following that deal, the same age that Bobrovsky is upon signing his new deal with the Panthers.