The Calgary Flames' season has not gone as planned, and the team has begun the process of moving out valuable veterans for future assets.
Two weeks ago, they sent forward Elias Lindholm to Pacific Division rival Vancouver, acquiring present help in the form of winger Andrei Kuzmenko, a 2024 first round pick, and a pair of prospect defensemen.
The Flames have several other high-profile veterans available to move including defensemen Noah Hanifin and Chris Tanev, but goaltender Jacob Markstrom is an interesting situation given the amount of teams with need in between the pipes and his contractual situation.
Let's take a look at the season Markstrom is having, where he might fit in and what the Flames might be able to get back in return.
NHL Trade Deadline: Jacob Markstrom
Remaining Contract: 3 years at a $6 million AAV
Possible Destinations: New Jersey, Carolina, Colorado
Calgary's netminder has been one of the most reliable in the league this season. His .916 save percentage ranks 8th among NHL goalies, and he has a very long track record of being a good starter, with only one bad season since 2015.
Markstrom's market is complicated by the term and dollar value remaining on his contract. Contending teams that do have need for goaltending this season may be hesitant to commit to the remaining two years after this one on Markstrom's deal, especially since contending teams are usually in a salary cap crunch to begin with.
Carolina and Colorado are the two obvious contenders with needs in net. Alexandar Georgiev has put up wins for Colorado, but his save percentage has left a lot to be desired, and if Colorado got legitimately high-end goaltending, they'd likely enter April as the top dog in the league.
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The Hurricanes, meanwhile, have relied upon Pyotr Kochetkov and Antti Raanta while Frederik Andersen has been sidelined with blood clot issues. Raanta has struggled mightily this year, while Kochetkov has been solid, but missed time due to a concussion and should likely not be asked to do too much given his young age and the stage of development he finds himself in. Andersen has been cleared to resume skating, so Carolina might prefer to pass on the goalie trade market and hope he can come back down the stretch.
During Saturday night's Hockey Night in Canada broadcast, insider Elliotte Friedman reported that talks between the Flames and Devils on a Markstrom deal got pretty far, but fell apart due to disagreements on how Markstrom's contract would be retained.
The Devils have sputtered this season, but the term remaining on Markstrom's deal could actually be a positive for them given their long-term need in net, looking ahead to next year and young talent on the roster they can rely on to be better then.
If the Flames are able to get a return they like for Markstrom and find a suitor for him, it could be a big boost in the playoff hopes of the team that acquires him. Every year we see a really good team or two go down because they just can't get a save over a playoff series, and a steady presence like Markstrom is highly likely to avoid such a fate.
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