LeBrun: New Jersey Devils and ‘a few other teams’ interested in Flames netminder Jacob Markstrom
By Ryan Pike
1 month agoFriends, we’re just three weeks away from the 2024 NHL Draft. As the draft is traditionally an event that leads to trades between clubs, it’s no surprise that the volume of trade chatter in the ecosystem has erupted lately.
Over at The Athletic, Pierre LeBrun is among the best in the business at discerning the signal from all the noise. And in his Rumblings column on Tuesday, he dropped a bit of interesting intel regarding Calgary Flames goaltender Jacob Markstrom and the trade market.
We won’t crib the entire column – The Athletic’s behind a paywall and we think it’s worth your coin if you’re a sports fan with the means to subscribe – but LeBrun chatted with New Jersey Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald at the draft combine in Buffalo, which led to this excerpt from LeBrun regarding the Devils’ goaltending situation.
While Fitzgerald wouldn’t get into names, other league sources said he continues to show interest in Jacob Markstrom from the Calgary Flames, whom he tried hard to acquire before the March 8 trade deadline, as well as Linus Ullmark from the Boston Bruins. There are other possibilities, too, but those two names would top New Jersey’s list.My understanding is that Markstrom would waive his full no-move clause to go to New Jersey. But there are a few other teams with interest in Markstrom, as well.
We don’t need to litigate the entire situation, but for those unfamiliar, here’s the gist of what’s going on: The Flames have an NHL tandem of Markstrom and backup Dan Vladar that’s pretty solid, but they have third-stringer Dustin Wolf waiting in the AHL after winning oodles of goaltending awards over the past few years. It seems evident that a goaltending move, at some point, could be coming to give Wolf some new challenges in the NHL.
Meanwhile, New Jersey’s had a churn of goaltenders over the past few years. They’ve attempted to address that position by making trades. They reportedly nearly had a trade for Markstrom across the finish line prior to March’s trade deadline – how close that deal was to being done and what derailed it is a source of debate within hockey circles – but it didn’t end up happening and so Markstrom stayed in Calgary and New Jersey acquired veteran Jake Allen to address that position instead.
The Flames still have three goalies they like, while New Jersey still wants to upgrade their goaltending – as do other teams most likely. Markstrom has two seasons remaining on his current contract with a $6 million cap hit and a full no-move clause. Regardless of how many suitors there are for his services, Markstrom will only be moved elsewhere if Markstrom wants to be moved.
The 2024 NHL Draft unfolds in Las Vegas at the Sphere on June 28 and 29.
Recent articles from Ryan Pike
