4 Trade Destinations For Flames’ Jacob Markstrom

Jacob Markstrom is one of the biggest names available on the trade market. The 34-year-old goaltender had a bounce-back season with the Calgary Flames, which has raised his trade value. Given where the Flames are at right now, it makes sense for a Markstrom trade to happen. Getting assets for an aging goaltender during a retool is a no-brainer. Markstrom also gets the chance for the potential to win elsewhere, as the Flames won’t be playoff contenders anytime soon.

Trade rumors about Markstrom have been loud as the NHL Draft is around the corner. It would benefit both parties if a deal is done sooner rather than later. As for teams, Markstrom has recently been connected to various teams around the league as interest is expected to heat up.

With that being said, both Gurpal Singh and Cody Misyk weighed in on possible landing spots for the veteran netminder. Here are four teams that we believe could be suitors for the Flames goaltender:

Gurpal: New Jersey Devils

You can’t mention Markstrom without bringing up the New Jersey Devils. The Flames reportedly had a deal in place with the Devils during the season, but it fell through. Talks between the two teams got to the point where Markstrom was asked to waive his NMC, which he did. It’s unknown why the deal wasn’t done then, but some suggest that the ownership personnel for the Flames nixed the trade.

Despite failed efforts, the Devils remain the frontrunners to land Markstrom. The goaltending in New Jersey was one of the main reasons they failed to make the playoffs this year. The average save percentage for the Devils this season was .896, which won’t cut it. The Devils attempted to shake up their goaltending during the Trade Deadline by bringing in Jake Allen and Kaapo Kahkkonen, but it was too little too late.

Acquiring a true starting goalie is the top priority for the Devils, and Markstrom fits that mold. Markstrom also goes to a team that has all the tools to be a playoff contender. If the Devils got NHL-level goaltending, they would’ve easily been a playoff team.

Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald will be under substantial pressure this offseason. He’ll need to address the clear weaknesses if the Devils have any chance of getting back into the postseason. Improvements in net are a must and Markstrom checks all their boxes. As for Markstrom’s cap hit, earlier reports suggested that the Devils were willing to take on the full $6 million without salary retention. It seems like what’s holding up a deal is whether the Flames believe the return for Markstrom is to their liking.

Cody: Toronto Maple Leafs

The Toronto Maple Leafs present a potential landing spot for Markstrom. With Ilya Samsonov‘s contract expiring, Toronto must secure another goalie to complement Joseph Woll. While some argue that Woll should take on the number one goalie role, he only has thirty-nine regular season games under his belt. Bringing in someone like Markstrom could provide valuable mentorship for a few seasons before Woll takes the role independently. Predicting what the Maple Leafs would offer for Markstrom is challenging.

There is a lot of chatter around Mitch Marner but the Calgary Flames are not rumored to be interested in him. Therefore, any trade involving Markstrom would likely include draft picks and young players heading to the Flames. Could defenseman Topi Niemela or forward Fraser Minten be part of the deal? Or is Toronto hesitant to part with these prospects for a goalie? Answers to the Markstrom trade rumors may emerge at the 2024 NHL Entry Draft on June 28th.

Gurpal: Utah Hockey Club

This one is a bit out there, but Utah could be a dark horse to potentially land Markstrom. The team will have about $43 million in cap space this summer, which is an unbelievable amount of money to spend on free agents and contracts in trades. The team’s new owner, Ryan Smith, has come out and said that he has the goal of being competitive right away, which means big moves could be in the works.

While Utah has a solid goalie tandem in Connor Ingram and Karel Vejmelka, improvements can always be made. If Utah truly has a desire to be competitive, improvements in net will help with that. Utah is a team filled with young talent and promising prospects, and they have a boatload of draft picks on top of that. If the team decides to trade assets for players to help them compete, they have the ability to do that.

As for Markstrom, Utah has the cap space to take on his full salary and they have the ability to potentially be a wildcard team next season. Add Markstrom to a mix, and you may have a team that can make some noise. The only question would be whether or not Markstrom would be willing to waive his NMC to go to Utah, which is why it’s a team that may be far-fetched.

Still, stranger things have happened before and if Utah is serious about being aggressive this offseason, opinions can change suddenly.

Cody: Los Angeles Kings

The LA Kings emerge as the final team under consideration. Despite previous rumors suggesting Markstrom’s refusal to join LA, he could, in fact, be an ideal addition to the team. This becomes even more reasonable as goaltender Cam Talbot is set to become an unrestricted free agent.

Consequently, the Kings find themselves in need of another goaltender to pair with David Rittich on their roster. Having lost to the Edmonton Oilers in three straight playoff series, the Kings must find a way to be better. The last three seasons have been rough for their goaltending. Could Markstrom be the solution to the Kings’ goalie problem?

Once again, the Flames would likely want picks and prospects in return for Markstrom. The LA Kings have plenty of young talent that could be moved. Arthur Kaliyev has recently requested a trade out from LA. Could he be a part of the Jacob Markstrom deal? Without solid goaltending, the Kings won’t be considered a threat come playoff time.

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