There was plenty of discussion surrounding Calgary Flames goalie Jacob Markstrom heading into the trade deadline. In the midst of a retooling effort, general manager Craig Conroy had talks with the New Jersey Devils involving Markstrom, and according to several reports, a deal came very close to fruition.
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Ultimately, Markstrom remained with the Flames, which fans had mixed reactions over. Some believed the Flames should have moved him for what was believed to be a big package, while others thought his value would be even higher in the offseason, where more teams would be able to join the mix. At this point, it appears those in the former were correct in their assessment.
Markstrom Struggling to Close Out Season
Though the Flames were able to stay in the hunt for a playoff position for a big part of the season, many expected their play to drop off after the trade deadline. That has been the case, as the losses of players such as Elias Lindholm and more, particularly Chris Tanev and Noah Hanifin, have been too much for the Flames to handle.
The Flames have really struggled lately, with four wins through their last 13 games, and are now 14 points shy of the LA Kings for a wild-card position. While not officially eliminated, it is clear that playoffs are out of the question this season, and that fate, paired with a depleted roster, has really started to take its toll on Markstrom’s play.
Up until the trade deadline, Markstrom was considered by many to be in the Vezina Trophy running, as he was undoubtedly the biggest reason the Flames remained in the playoff hunt. A top-three Vezina finish is out of the question entirely now, as the 34-year-old is going through some major struggles lately.
Markstom has failed to post a save percentage (SV%) above .900 in all of his past eight starts, which has really hurt his season totals. All of a sudden, his numbers on the year seem very pedestrian, with a 2.74 goals against average (GAA) and .906 SV%. With those numbers, it causes concern that teams, particularly the Devils, who were prepared to give up plenty, may now be second-guessing themselves on the aging goalie, who has two additional seasons remaining on his contract with a $6 million cap hit.
Flames Should Have Shut Markstrom Down
Almost immediately after the trade deadline, Markstrom was labeled day-to-day with a lower-body injury. Speculation began to run rampant that it could mean he was being shut down for the season, an opinion that even Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman suggested was a legitimate possibility. It made plenty of sense given that not only did the Flames have little to play for, but Markstrom had voiced his displeasure with Flames management days prior.
The Flames never did shut down Markstrom, however, welcoming him back to the lineup a short time later and subsequently giving him the bulk of starts since he has returned. The results speak for themselves in the abysmal stats as of late, including that he has won just one of his past five starts.
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The only thing Flames fans can hope for now is that other teams in the league can see through this current struggle and attribute it to the weak roster playing in front of Markstrom. By no means has he been playing great as of late, but his elite goaltending through the first three-quarters of the season in front of what was still a very mediocre team at best may have been enough to impress teams even with his recent dip in play. The Flames are certainly hoping that’s the case, as trading him could really help speed up their retooling plans.