10 Players That Will Definitely Be Upgraded In NHL 18

9. Sergei Bobrovsky - Columbus Blue Jackets

NHL 18 Cover
By Michael Miller (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Playing in a somewhat non-traditional hockey market, it’s easy to forget that Sergei Bobrovsky just won the second Vezina Award for best goaltender in his young career. As an MVP finalist this past season, Bobrovsky’s performance was the main reason for the Blue Jackets’ dominant stretch in the regular season that ultimately saw them finish with 108 points - by far the best season in the franchise’s history.

His amazing stats of a 2.06 GAA and .931 save percentage were bettered only by his performance in the lockout-shortened 12/13 season. He wasn’t too hot in the playoffs against the defending champion Pittsburgh Penguins, but that shouldn’t tarnish his MVP level play over the course of the year.

Bobrovsky just scratched the top 10 goaltenders in NHL 17, tied for 10th place, but he deserves to find himself in the region of the top five goalies in NHL 18. At 28 years old, Bobrovsky looks to be just entering his prime.

Coupled with the expected progression from Columbus’ already outstanding defensemen Seth Jones and Zach Werenski, Bobrovsky should be set for another impressive year as one of the top goalies in the NHL.

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Chest thumping James Bond and Haruki Murakami fanatic living in China. Once had a fever dream about riding a rowboat with Davos Seaworth. He hasn't updated this section since Game of Thrones was cool, and boy does it show.