Trade details revealed from failed Leafs-Flames Markstrom deal

The Toronto Maple Leafs were reportedly pushing hard to acquire former Calgary Flames goaltender Jacob Markstrom.

The Leafs were said to have interest in Markstrom prior to this year’s trade deadline but were unable to work out a deal with the Flames. What few were aware of, however, was that the two sides circled back and began talking once again this offseason.

As per Jonas Siegel and James Mirtle of The Athletic, the Leafs offered a first-round pick to the Flames for Markstrom. Flames general manager Craig Conroy chose not to bite, however, and instead moved the 34-year-old to the New Jersey Devils in exchange for a 2025 first-round pick and defenceman Kevin Bahl.

The first-round pick from the Devils is top-10 protected and would move to 2026 if it were to be in the first ten spots. Meanwhile, the Flames retained 31.25% of Markstrom’s $6 million cap hit.

Based on this report, it seems evident that the Leafs are making it a clear point of emphasis to upgrade their goaltending ahead of the 2024-25 season. They currently only have Joseph Woll under contract, with Ilya Samsonov, Martin Jones, and Matt Murray all set to become UFAs this summer.

Unfortunately for the Leafs, their time to make an upgrade is ticking away in a hurry. Two of the top goalies available in Markstrom, as well as Linus Ullmark, have already been dealt. A few others are believed to be on the market, with the top option being Juuse Saros from the Nashville Predators. The 29-year-old is entering the final season of a contract that carries a $5 million cap hit.

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