The Calgary Flames have made a ton of trades over the past calendar year, and they don’t appear to be done just yet. The relationship between the organization and goaltender Jacob Markstrom seemed to sour late in the 2023-24 season, leading many to believe he will be moved this offseason.
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Though Markstrom’s stats this past season were by no means spectacular, he is widely considered to be one of the better starting goaltenders in the NHL. With two years remaining on his contract which carries an annual cap hit of $6 million, nearly every team in the league would love to have him on their roster. For some, his salary would make it an impossibility, but there are teams who could make it work. Here are the top five teams that serve as great fits for the 34-year-old.
New Jersey Devils
Seeing the New Jersey Devils on this list should come as no surprise, as they came very close to landing Markstrom earlier this year at the 2024 Trade Deadline. They ultimately settled on Jake Allen and Kaapo Kahkonen, but there has been plenty of speculation that they will revisit a Markstrom deal this offseason.
Kahkonen’s time with the Devils appears to be up, as he is set to become an unrestricted free agent (UFA) this summer. Meanwhile, Allen, who is better suited for a backup role at this stage in his career, has just one season remaining on his deal. The Devils are responsible for just $1.925 million of his contract, which gives them the flexibility to bring in Markstrom, whether some of his deal is retained or not.
Los Angeles Kings
With Cam Talbot set to become a UFA this summer, the Los Angeles Kings are another good NHL team who will be in the market for a goalie. They came close to landing Boston Bruins netminder Linus Ullmark at the deadline, but the 30-year-old is believed to have nixed the trade at the last second.
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There is plenty of reason to believe the Flames and Kings could work out a Markstrom deal, as the Kings have several young, intriguing prospects who would be of interest to general manager (GM) Craig Conroy. While Markstrom does hold a no-movement clause, he’s been quite adamant that he wants to win, and the Kings are in a much better position to do so in the near future than the Flames.
Toronto Maple Leafs
Another team in desperate need of a goalie is the Toronto Maple Leafs. They chose to go with a tandem of Ilya Samsonov and Joseph Woll entering the season, and it simply did not work out. Samsonov struggled for the vast majority of the campaign, while Woll couldn’t seem to stay healthy. With Samsonov set to become a UFA, they will be looking at upgrading between the pipes.
Maple Leafs GM — and former Flames GM — Brad Treliving is very familiar with Markstrom, having been the one to sign him to the six-year, $36 million contract he is currently on. Though playing in Toronto isn’t for everyone, Markstrom is a player who seems to enjoy being under the spotlight, and could serve as a great option for the Maple Leafs next season.
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings came oh-so-close to making the playoffs this year, as they tied the eighth-seed Washington Capitals with 91 points, but lost the tiebreaker due to having fewer regulation wins. Perhaps the biggest reason they missed was due to goaltending as Alex Lyon, James Reimer, and Ville Husso were all inconsistent at best.
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Reimer is set to become a UFA this summer, while Lyon has only one season remaining with a cap hit of just $900,000. The bigger issue in this is Husso, who has been a disastrous signing for the Red Wings. He too has just one year remaining on his deal, but carries a $4.75 million cap hit. Due to Husso’s salary, trading for Markstrom will be difficult for GM Steve Yzerman, but if he is able to either move Husso in a separate deal, or get the Flames to retain some of Markstrom’s contract, this could be a reasonable fit.
Carolina Hurricanes
For several seasons, the Carolina Hurricanes have been one of the NHL’s best teams, but they have yet to win the Stanley Cup with their current core. In past years, their lack of offence in the playoffs played a big part in that, though questions have always arisen in regards to their goaltending.
Goaltending played a part in their second-round exit at the hands of the New York Rangers this year, as neither Frederik Andersen nor Pyotr Kochetkov was good enough. The problem for the ‘Canes is that both are under contract for the 2024-25 season, but if they are able to move either, it wouldn’t come as a surprise to see them target Markstrom.
Flames Have Options Available
As shown by this list, there are teams who need to upgrade their goaltending this summer. The competition in the market should allow for Conroy to net a solid return for Markstrom. That said, if he doesn’t believe he is getting fair value, he still has the option to keep Markstrom and choose to use him in a tandem with Dustin Wolf. It will certainly be a situation for Flames fans to monitor throughout the offseason.
