What Sergei Bobrovsky Really Brings to the Maple Leafs

Sergei Bobrovsky is expected to get the start for the Maple Leafs against Montreal on Saturday, and sure, that's worth watching. But honestly, the preseason start isn't the interesting part. The interesting part is what Bobrovsky might bring to Toronto once the games actually count.

The Maple Leafs didn't sign him to win a preseason game. They signed him because they wanted a veteran goaltender who has been through just about everything an NHL goalie can go through. That's a pretty big deal in Toronto.

Bobrovsky has been a great goalie for a long time.

Goaltending has a funny way of making everybody nervous. A goalie can be great for two weeks, and suddenly everybody starts wondering what happens if he gives up a couple of soft goals. Then the backup plays well for a few games, and suddenly everybody wants to know if he should be the starter. It can get exhausting.

Maybe that's part of what Toronto is trying to avoid. Bobrovsky has been around long enough that a bad game won’t send him into a panic. He's seen good stretches. He's seen bad stretches. He's played in pressure games, playoff games and games where everybody in the building is waiting for him to make a mistake. That experience matters.

The Maple Leafs signed Bobrovsky because they wanted confidence in the crease.

The Maple Leafs gave him a three-year, $21 million contract because they apparently believe he can provide stability in the crease. Anthony Stolarz is still there, and that's important, too. But the expectation is pretty clear: Bobrovsky is the No. 1. And maybe the best thing he can bring to Toronto isn't spectacular goaltending every night.

Maybe it's boring goaltending. That sounds strange to say about a two-time Vezina Trophy winner, but there is something to it. The Leafs don't need Bobrovsky to make every night an adventure. They need him to stop the pucks he should stop, make the difficult saves when the team needs them and give the players in front of him a chance to play their game.

Teams play differently when they trust their goalie.

That last part might be the most important. A team plays differently when it trusts the guy behind it. Defencemen can be a little more aggressive. Forwards can attack. Players don't have to spend the entire night worrying about whether one mistake will end up in the back of their net.

That's what Bobrovsky could bring. Not magic. Not perfection. Just experience, confidence and, hopefully, a little less stress in front of the Maple Leafs' net. For Toronto, that might be worth an awful lot.