In this edition of the Calgary Flames News & Rumors, we will be taking a look at the trade that sent Jacob Markstrom to the New Jersey Devils and the implications that trading a goalie for a defenceman could have on the roster. Where does Kevin Bahl fit in? Does he make Oliver Kylington expendable, or will he sign a new contract? All of the latest news and rumors are found here!
Markstrom Traded to the New Jersey Devils
In a recent Q&A with Sportsnet, general manager Craig Conroy expressed the state of the relationship between the club and Markstrom. He confirmed that there had not been a trade request from the goaltender and that he hadn’t expressed his desire to leave Calgary.
Less than 48 hours after the story was published, Markstrom was dealt to the Devils for defenceman Bahl and a 2025 first-round draft pick. In the news story released by the team, Conroy thanked Markstrom for understanding the decision to trade him at this point in both the player and team’s development. He then added that acquiring a young talented player was a priority and that Bahl was always the one they were targeting.
Bahl is a strong two-way defenceman who played all 82 games for the Devils this season, and the left-shot defender should slide into the Flames’ lineup well. He has a lot of upside to become a true top-four impactful defenceman and the Flames could use some more depth options for the upcoming season.
Related: Devils Acquire Jacob Markstrom From Flames
For quite some time it felt like the Devils would be the landing spot. It was rumored to be close at the trade deadline, but they couldn’t put it together. Acquiring a top-10 protected first-round pick in 2025 is another quality asset in the deal. While they were likely targeting the Devils’ high pick this season, they will still be happy to get a first-rounder back, even though it will likely be a less valuable pick next season.
Dan Vladar on Track for Healthy Training Camp
In the same interview with Sportsnet, Conroy gave an update on their other netminder:
Before Vladdy left he was doing squats, and was moving well, and it looks like everything is tracking right on schedule. So that’s positive.
Hopefully he’ll be ready by the end of August.
Craig Conroy via Sportsnet.ca
Vladar had hip surgery on March 21, 2024, and it was intentional timing so that with an ideal rehab, he would be ready for training camp and the beginning of the 2024-25 season.
With Markstrom out of the picture now, the Flames will likely run with a tandem of Vladar and Dustin Wolf, their star goaltending prospect. This kind of goaltending duo could be set up very well to create internal competition for the starting job. Vladar, who has been a backup goalie for some time now, has a lot of experience and knows what it takes to play and win in the NHL. Wolf on the other hand, only has 15 NHL games under his belt but has a much higher ceiling than Vladar. Wolf won the American Hockey League’s (AHL) Goaltender of the Year Award in both 2021-22 and 2022-23.
The future of goaltending is bright in Calgary, and while there could be a gap year between success between the pipes, the Flames have their goaltending set up for quite some time if everything goes right.
In the release about Markstrom, Conroy expressed that the trade did a lot of things for the club, including maintaining their commitment to being a playoff team. Is Vladar and Wolf a strong enough tandem to get them there? Time will tell.
Does Bahl Replace Kylington?
Kylington is a beloved player in Calgary, especially given his story leading up to his 2024 Bill Masterton Trophy nomination. He is a pending unrestricted free agent, and there is speculation that bringing Bahl into the lineup could be to replace him.
PostMedia’s Daniel Austin reports that contract talks are still ongoing between Kylington and the Flames. Conroy told Austin that he spoke with Kylington the other day and that talks were still progressing. He then added that he knows both parties want things to go quicker, but that the process takes time (from ‘Flames remain optimistic about re-signing Kylington,’ Calgary Harold, June 19, 2024).
Negotiating with Kylington and his camp is one of the more complex signings a manager is going to have to make this season. Before taking a 20-month leave of absence to attend to his mental health, he was an important part of the Flames’ defence group. He showed that he is a strong two-way defenceman and has a lot of value. Missing that much time and only having a 33-game stint to earn his next contract makes for a difficult conversation. Was he at the top of his game in the latter half of the season? No, of course not, nobody would be with that much missed time, but every game he played he progressed even more.
It is believed that both sides want to work something out, but with a negotiation this unusual, it may be hard to find common ground.
