Jacob Markstrom is having an excellent 2023-24 season for the Calgary Flames. The 34-year-old is in the running for the Vezina Trophy, and is seemingly keeping his team in every game he starts. Had he not missed some time with injury, the Flames may be in a playoff spot right now.
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Flames fans were hopeful that Markstrom would be able to turn things around this season. What they didn’t expect was for him to also improve his playmaking abilities. He has done just that, as he has put together a fantastic offensive season on top of his goaltending.
In the Flames’ 4-2 win over the LA Kings on Tuesday (Feb. 27) night, Markstrom recorded an assist on an Andrew Mangiapane goal in the second period. It marked his fifth helper of the season, which not only leads all NHL goalies by a significant margin, but also marks another career high, as he had never put up more than three in a single season prior.
Tale of Two Seasons
Things have been going great for Markstrom this season, though not everyone else around the league can say the same. One player in particular who has really struggled, arguably more than anybody else in the NHL, is Connor Brown.
The Oilers signed Brown expecting that he would complete their top six, and were hoping that he could find chemistry alongside his former Erie Otters teammate Connor McDavid. He was given a shot with the Oilers captain in the early going, but has been banished to mainly a fourth-line role due to his serious struggles.
Brown, who has hit the 20-goal mark twice in his career, seemed to have a good chance to smash his previous career highs on a very skilled Oilers team. General manager Ken Holland was so confident in him that he added a $3.225 million bonus that was achieved by playing in just 10 games this season.
The confidence from both Oilers management and fans has gone completely to the wayside, as Brown is goalless with only five assists through 49 games. Those totals match Markstrom’s, despite having suited up for 11 more contests.
Brown is the only current player on the Oilers roster who has yet to find the back of the net this season, and his five points are ahead of only Dylan Holloway, who has appeared in a much lesser 28 games. He is also just one of five NHL forwards this season along with Nicolas Deslauriers, Ross Johnston, Jansen Harkins, and Benoit-Olivier Groulx, that have suited up for 30 or more games without finding the back of the net.
To Brown’s credit, he has been able to stick in the Oilers lineup despite his offensive struggles. He has done so by playing strong defensive hockey, which has included some valuable minutes played on the penalty kill. Nonetheless, the signing has been an outright disaster for Holland and his management team.
Brown Could Be in Trouble
The Oilers are looking to improve their roster ahead of the trade deadline, and have been linked to several different forwards across the league. If Holland can make a deal for one, it could mean trouble for Brown, as his lack of production would make him a near guarantee to come out of the lineup. If that does happen, his NHL future could be in jeopardy, as it’s hard to picture teams lining up to sign a player who appeared in only four games due to injury a season ago, and has yet to find the back of the net in 2023-24. He’ll need to figure things out in a hurry to ensure that doesn’t happen.
