4 teams Flames could trade Markstrom to this offseason
The Calgary Flames were very serious when it came to moving Jacob Markstrom ahead of the trade deadline.
Nothing came to fruition, but a deal got close enough that general manager Craig Conroy spoke with Markstrom about waiving his no-movement clause. The 34-year-old has since voiced his displeasure with how the situation was handled and seems to be a likely trade candidate in the summer.
It was no secret that the team leading the charge in the Markstrom sweepstakes was the New Jersey Devils. They instead chose to acquire Jake Allen and Kaapo Kahkonen in hopes of improving their goaltending.
Some are viewing it as a missed opportunity that the Flames didn’t move Markstrom ahead of the deadline. That may not be the case, however, as more teams would be able to free up the money to land him in the summer, which would help drive up the return. Here are four teams that may look to target him this offseason:
New Jersey Devils
Well, this comes as no surprise. As mentioned, the Devils did make some moves at the deadline to address their goaltending, but they are short-term fixes. It is believed that Markstrom is still the number-one guy on their list.
The biggest piece media discussed as a potential return in a Markstrom trade was Alexander Holtz, though there would be plenty more coming back. With how deep these two teams were in conversation, it certainly wouldn’t come as a shock to see them figure something out soon.
LA Kings
There have been several reports that the LA Kings tried to trade for Boston Bruins goaltender Linus Ullmark ahead of the deadline. While both Cam Talbot and David Rittich have been a surprisingly good tandem this season, you can understand why the Kings were hoping to get a more stable option between the pipes ahead of the playoffs.
The Kings could look to target Ullmark again in the summer, but it would also make sense for them to inquire about Markstrom. They have several intriguing prospects in their system and also have Alex Turcotte, a young centreman who has struggled this far in. The fifth overall pick from the 2019 draft has a ton of talent and could be of big interest to the Flames.
Toronto Maple Leafs
Though Ilya Samsonov has improved his play tremendously since being placed on waivers earlier in the season, it’s hard to imagine Toronto Maple Leafs fans are overly confident in their goaltenders as the playoffs are nearing. Who knows, perhaps one of Samsonov or Joseph Woll will put on a show and lead this team on a deep postseason run. If not, general manager Brad Treliving will be in the goalie market this summer.
Treliving is well aware of what he would be getting in Markstrom, having been the man who signed him to his six-year, $36 million deal in Calgary. He also has his first-round pick for the upcoming draft, along with several young pieces that could be of interest to Conroy.
Edmonton Oilers
Trading your starting goaltender to your biggest rival may not be the most ideal situation, but Conroy has already proven several times this season that he isn’t afraid to trade within his division. The Oilers have had questions surrounding their goaltending at times this season, but elected to run with a tandem of Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard as they prepare for the playoffs.
Skinner has shown at times that he is capable of being a number one goaltender, though how he performs in the upcoming playoffs will likely determine whether or not the Oilers look to upgrade that position in the offseason. If he struggles again, Markstrom could become of interest.
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