On the latest written version of 32 Thoughts by Elliotte Friedman on Sportsnet, he discussed a ton of Calgary Flames news. While this mostly centred around how much interest there is around the league for Chris Tanev, there were a couple of interesting tidbits on the Flames goaltending tandem.
Dealing with Jacob Markstrom’s NMC is a delicate dance
Friedman noted that when he’s asked around the league for information about Jacob Markstrom, he gets mixed answers. We know that Markstrom doesn’t like the noise of trade rumours and hates hearing his name out there, and the Flames are very conscious of that. However, Friedman really made it sound like some teams have seriously inquired about trading for Markstrom, it just hasn’t been serious enough for the Flames to do anything with.
This is a very interesting development. Markstrom is currently having a phenomenal bounce-back year and is entering Vezina Trophy conversations, and the truth is having a solid goaltender is a major difference-maker in the NHL. He ultimately gets the final say with his no-movement clause.
Last year’s narrative with the Stanley Cup champion Vegas Golden Knights was that they rode a no-name goalie to the Cup and that a true number-one netminder wasn’t as important as it once was. But, after what Adin Hill has done this season, it’s very clear that last year’s playoff run was the breakout of an NHL star, not a lucky few weeks by an average player. If the Olympics started today, even Friedman is saying that Hill would be Canada’s starter.
With so many teams in need of goaltending help, the Markstrom situation is definitely one to watch going forward, not just leading up to this year’s trade deadline, but into the offseason as well. By the numbers, Markstrom is the key reason why the Flames are not in the lottery race. He’s signed for two more years after this one at an AAV of $6M.
Teams aren’t interested in Dan Vladar
The other side of the Flames’ tandem is Dan Vladar, who has had his stellar moments this season, but there doesn’t appear to be any leaguewide interest in his services.
Entering this season, the Flames were determined to get their prized goaltending prospect Dustin Wolf games in the NHL, but Vladar is standing in the way. He’s too good to put on waivers, but not good enough to be a serious trade chip—at least right now.
Prior to the start of the season, it was rumoured that the Flames could have easily traded Vladar for a third-round pick, the same asset they gave up to acquire him from Boston a few years ago. This was seen as too low for Craig Conroy to throw Wolf into the NHL backup role with just one NHL game under his belt. Now, has that price dropped, too? It sure looks like it.
As the trade deadline looms, it’s very possible that Vladar’s name becomes more of a commodity as teams start getting fidgety about their rosters. But barring a big change in the market, it doesn’t look like Vladar will be going anywhere. He’s signed for one more year after this one at an AAV of $2.2M.
Goaltending is a need leaguewide
There are a number of teams that clearly appear to be in need of goaltending help. The New Jersey Devils, Tampa Bay Lightning, New York Islanders, Colorado Avalanche, Dallas Stars, and Toronto Maple Leafs are all playoff-contending teams in the bottom half of the league for goals allowed. Add in the Carolina Hurricanes, Philadelphia Flyers, Los Angeles Kings, and Edmonton Oilers to the mix and you’ve got a long list of teams that could definitely use some help between the pipes.
With this type of need, it’s very possible things start to move with the Flames goalies. This will be a storyline to monitor over the next three weeks.
Photo by Brett Holmes/Icon Sportswire
