After months of speculation, the Calgary Flames have finally traded goaltender Jacob Markstrom.
Markstrom has been dealt to the New Jersey Devils, as first reported by TSN’s Travis Yost. The trade is now official.
Coming the other way in the deal is 23-year-old defenceman Kevin Bahl along with a first-round pick in 2025. Bahl played in a career-high 82 games this past season, scoring a goal and adding 11 helpers. He has one season remaining on his contract which carries a $1.05 million cap hit.
TRADE ALERT!
We have acquired a 2025 first round pick and defenceman Kevin Bahl from New Jersey!
Details: https://t.co/81UnsVUjVz pic.twitter.com/hzeeHAauuB
— Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) June 19, 2024
āTodayās trade demonstrates our focus on the infusion of young talented players into our roster as well as acquiring important draft capital, while maintaining our commitment as a playoff competitive team,ā said Flames GM Craig Conroy. āWe thank Jacob for his professionalism and understanding of our decision to make this trade now and at this stage in his career.ā
Though many Flames fans had expected to see Alexander Holtz coming back in the deal, Conroy admitted that he and his management team have had their eye on Bahl for a lengthy period of time.
āFor quite some time, we had identified Kevin Bahl as a priority player,” Conroy said. “He is a strong defender with size who plays an assertive game with tremendous presence. While his 6ā6ā, 230-lb. frame is an imposing asset, he uses his body intelligently, has good mobility and makes smart puck decisions. Kevin fits our identity, and we are excited to acquire him now as he can continue to grow with our group.ā
As per Pierre LeBrun, the Flames have retained 31.25% of Markstrom’s contract, which has two seasons remaining with a $6 million cap hit. On top of that, the first-round pick the Devils sent is top-10 protected.
Full trade details:
Bahl, first RD pick 2025 (top 10 protected) for Markstrom with 31.25% retained on his remaining contract which has two more years.
ā Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) June 19, 2024
The Devils nearly landed Markstrom at the trade deadline earlier this year, with the Flames going as far as to ask the 34-year-old goaltender to waive his no-movement clause. He obliged, but a deal between the two seemingly fell apart at the last minute.
The trade falling through seemed to fracture the relationship between the Flames and Markstrom, with the latter admitting he wasn’t happy with how all the speculation surrounding his name was handled this past season.
Despite the deal falling through, the Devils continued to show major interest, as they have had a strong need for a number-one goaltender. Markstrom certainly fits that bill, and should help them get back into the playoffs after what was a disappointing 2023-24 season.
With Markstrom gone, the Flames are likely to enter next season with a goaltending duo of Dustin Wolf and Dan Vladar. The two will have some big shoes to fill, though it will be a great opportunity, particularly for Wolf, to prove himself on the highest stage.
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