Jun 26, 2025, 03:08 PM ET
The back-to-back Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers acquired goaltender Daniil Tarasov from the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday, sending a fifth-round draft pick in exchange for Sergei Bobrovsky‘s new backup and potential future successor.
Tarasov, 26, is a restricted free agent who is 10 years younger than Bobrovsky, who has backstopped the Panthers to consecutive championships. They come from the same Siberian town of Novokuznetsk, and Tarasov’s father, Vadim, was Bobrovsky’s idol.
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The Blue Jackets are getting the 160th pick in this weekend’s draft.
“On behalf of the Blue Jackets, I’d like to thank Daniil for his contributions to our organization over the past four years,” Columbus general manager Don Waddell said. “He is an outstanding young man, and we wish he and his family well in the future.”
Filling that spot with Vitek Vanecek expected to depart as an unrestricted free agent, Florida now turns to trying to re-sign some combination of playoff MVP Sam Bennett, trade deadline pickup Brad Marchand and longtime cornerstone defenseman Aaron Ekblad.
