Right now is the absolute best time to move Jacob Markstrom. Although it will be difficult, it could be easier than you think. The guy who recruited Markstrom to come here just got dealt to the Vancouver Canucks. The team is beginning their roster deconstruction in favour of a “re-tool.”
In an interview with Sportsnet’s Eric Francis, Markstrom did mention that the decision is in the Flames’ hands. A bit of a surprising thing to say, given Markstrom has a full no-move clause (NMC) for the entirety of his contract. The Flames could get an offer of five first-rounders, but if Markstrom says no, he isn’t going anywhere. Given that Markstrom mentioned it is in the team’s hands, maybe he would be open to a move to a contender if they approach him.
We’ve heard New Jersey and Carolina floated around for much of the season. Both teams would have the cap space necessary to acquire Markstrom at the deadline. To me, New Jersey makes the most sense, as they are desperate and need to move on from Vitek Vanecek.
Markstrom’s value is likely at its peak
A year ago, Markstrom was one of the biggest factors why the Flames didn’t make the playoffs. There was even some talk of a potential buyout in the summer, or attaching an asset to get rid of his contract. This season has been a complete turnaround. Markstrom is the only reason why the Flames are even remotely close to a playoff spot this season. Without him, they would very much be in the Macklin Celebrini sweepstakes.
In his four seasons with the Flames, here are Markstrom’s stats:
| Season | GAA | SV% | GSAx |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020–21 | 2.68 | 0.904 | -12.11 |
| 2021–22 | 2.22 | 0.922 | 15.61 |
| 2022–23 | 2.92 | 0.892 | 1.50 |
| 2023–24 | 2.54 | 0.913 | 28.14 |
Markstrom isn’t getting any younger. He just turned 34 years old and has another two seasons remaining on his contract after this one. Who knows what kind of goaltender you will get beyond this year? If he returns to his form last year, no one will be interested at his age and cap hit.
The Flames have to make room for Wolf
Dustin Wolf has done pretty much everything in his power so far. He’s in the middle of his third straight AHL season with a save percentage above 0.924. He is fifth in the AHL in GAA, and second in SV%. As the Flames move towards more youth into the lineup, it’s time to bring him up and see what you have.
In Elliotte Friedman’s latest 32 Thoughts, he noted that there hasn’t been much talk around Daniel Vladar. Given Vladar’s contract (signed through the 2024–25 season at a $2.2M cap hit) and season to date, that isn’t surprising. So, if the team can’t move Vladar, moving Markstrom logically follows. A Vladar/Wolf tandem does make a lot of sense for a team that is trying to get younger (and hopefully rebuild).
If it’s possible, it’s time to trade Jacob Markstrom
The Markstrom trade wouldn’t be easy. The Flames might have to eat some salary. Also, high-end goalies aren’t usually moved mid-season. But an interesting wrinkle would be the Roberto Luongo deal. Luongo was 34 when the Canucks moved him to the Florida Panthers in exchange for a package that included Jacob Markstrom. How about that, eh?
Now ten years later, we are talking about the other goalie in that deal. At the time of the trade, Luongo still had eight years remaining on his contract (this was signed before the NHL instituted an eight-year cap for deals). So, older goaltenders signed long-term can be dealt in-season. Markstrom isn’t on the same level of goaltender as Luongo, but his contract is also six years shorter.
Markstrom is playing out of his mind right now. Given his past seasons with the Flames, it is fair to question if this play can continue into future seasons. It could even falter this season once the likes of Chris Tanev and/or Noah Hanifin are traded by the deadline and the defence takes a hit. If he plummets, the Flames are stuck with a fairly big cap hit.
While the team trends towards a youthful change, they have a goaltender in Dustin Wolf to whom they need to give playing time. Since there is no reported interest in Dan Vladar, it makes sense to move Markstrom and get a return.
