Jacob Markstrom was fantastic once again on Saturday afternoon (Jan. 6), kicking aside 39 of the 42 shots he faced in a 3-2 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers. Such performances have become the norm for Markstrom, who has been arguably the league’s best goaltender since the start of December.
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Had it not been for Markstrom’s play, this game could have ended much worse for the Flames. They were outplayed from the get-go by the Flyers, with the final shots ending up 42-24 in favour of head coach John Tortorella’s squad.
With how well Markstrom has played lately, trade rumours have begun surfacing about him. The Flames are expected to be sellers at this year’s trade deadline and would likely garner a significant return for the 33-year-old netminder. Moving him would require some work, given that he has a cap hit of $6 million through the 2025-26 season, but it is far from impossible. If general manager Craig Conroy does elect to move him, these three teams would serve as great fits.
New Jersey Devils
After a coming out party in 2022-23, the New Jersey Devils had tons of expectations entering 2023-24. They are finally getting things going after a slow start to the season but have been plagued by poor goaltending. Vitek Vanecek is struggling for the second straight year, while Akira Schmid was recently assigned to the AHL in the midst of a sophomore slump.
With Schmid in the minors, the Devils are relying on a tandem of Vanecek and 23-year-old Nico Daws. That tandem makes it difficult to envision them going on a lengthy playoff run, which is disappointing, given the talent throughout the rest of their roster. Adding Markstrom between the pipes would solidify them as a legitimate contender out of the Eastern Conference.
Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes haven’t been their usual dominant selves this season, and goaltending has played a major part in that. Their record of 22-13-4 is still respectable, but it would be far better if they had even league-average play in the crease this season. That hasn’t occurred, as Frederik Andersen has missed almost the entire season due to a blood clot, while Antti Raanta has been arguably the worst goalie in the NHL with a .855 save percentage (SV%) through 15 appearances.
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To 23-year-old Pyotr Kochetkov’s credit, he has been a steady presence for the Canes and owns an 11-7-3 record to show it. His .903 SV% shows, however, that he has largely been the beneficiary of having a great team in front of him. He hasn’t done much to prove that he is capable of guiding the Hurricanes to a Stanley Cup, something that Markstrom would absolutely be able to do.
Toronto Maple Leafs
Another team that has had major goaltending woes this season is the Toronto Maple Leafs. Ilya Samsonov, who was penciled in as their number-one entering the season, was recently assigned to the AHL after some major struggles. Meanwhile, rookie netminder Joseph Woll had been playing well but has been out of the lineup for nearly a month with an ankle injury.
Stepping up in Woll’s absence has been veteran Martin Jones, who has been absolutely spectacular through 11 appearances. That said, his struggles over his prior five NHL seasons can’t be ignored, and they make it impossible for the Leafs to be confident in relying on him as the year continues. Trading for Markstrom, as difficult as it may prove to be from a cap perspective, would make them a legitimate powerhouse heading into the postseason.
Others Will Be Interested as Well
While these three teams may be the most logical fits, they are far from the only three that would love to add Markstrom. There are several out there who could benefit in a big way from adding a top-10 NHL goaltender like Markstrom to their crease. Whether they are willing to pay what would likely be a pretty significant asking price, however, remains to be seen.
