Wednesday, June 19 was a big day for the Calgary Flames as they moved another piece of their core out. The long-awaited trade of Jacob Markstrom finally happened as he was shipped off to the New Jersey Devils.
There have been lots of mixed reactions when it comes to this trade, some people think it is a home run for the Flames, some think the Flames got robbed blind, and others seem to think the deal is just fine. While I don’t think the Flames totally hit it out of the park with this one, I think they did well for themselves considering the circumstances at hand.
So, let’s take a look at the positives that have come with the Flames’ latest move.
The Flames got as much as they could have expected
Now, I know what you are thinking, and I really do think that what the Flames received in return for Markstrom was as much as they were going to get for him at the end of the day. While there was a rumour going around just before the trade deadline that Alexander Holtz was going to be a part of the package going the other way, at this point in time I refuse to believe that was the case.
The Flames came out of this deal with another first-round pick at their disposal, and another young player to insert into their lineup in Kevin Bahl. Maybe neither asset turns out to be anything substantial long-term—and that very well could be the case—but what you have to keep in mind is that Markstrom was virtually untradeable just a year ago at this time.
Not one single team a year ago was going to pay a single asset for a goalie coming off a year where he single-handedly cost his team a shot at the playoffs—that is how bad Markstrom was in 2022–23. A year later, the Flames received a first-round pick for a goalie who is 34 years old and has been extremely inconsistent since signing with the Flames in 2020.
A possible lottery pick
Yes, the pick received from the Devils in this trade is a top-ten protected pick in 2025, and odds are that the Flames will most likely use that pick in 2025 assuming that the Devils have a bounce-back season and revert back to their 2022–23 form. In saying that, we have seen crazier things happen.
There are lots of variables when it comes to the 2025 first-round pick that the Flames are getting back here. What if the Devils don’t get back to form and fall into the top-ten of next year’s draft? Well, then that pick would slide to 2026, where it will not be protected in any way, and what if the Devils continue their free fall from there? Then the Flames could have a lottery pick on their hands.
Look, I am not saying that the pick will be a lottery pick in a couple of years, like I mentioned, I imagine the Devils will have a much better season and the Flames will have a mid to late first-round pick next year. There is always a possibility of things going differently, so we will just have to wait and see when it comes to that pick.
The ship had sailed on keeping Markstrom
There was a zero percent chance that Markstrom was going to be back in Calgary to begin the 2024–25 season. I think everyone around the league knew that, and Markstrom himself had made it very clear that Calgary wasn’t going to be the place for him to play for the remainder of his contract.
So, for basically the entire league to know that he was not going to return to Calgary along with his full no-movement clause, leverage was always going to be on the team acquiring Markstrom’s side. Craig Conroy knew this, and he was still able to come out with a nice return.
It’s Dustin Wolf time
With Markstrom now no longer in the picture, this has opened up a spot on the Flames roster for Dustin Wolf to finally become a full-time NHL goaltender. This is huge, Wolf has dominated the AHL for the last three seasons and has nothing left to prove as a goalie for the Wranglers.
He got his first real taste of the NHL this past season after debuting in an end-of-season game the year before, and next season will be another big step in his development as he will have to learn how to deal with the workload at the NHL level. As it stands right now, Wolf and Daniel Vladar will be the tandem to start the year, but I wouldn’t fully count out Vladar being shipped out either so that the Flames could bring in a more veteran partner for Wolf in his first full NHL season.
While this now has nothing to do with Markstrom, a spot being opened up for Wolf is a major positive, it may be even more important than the assets received in trading Markstrom. The time was now to get Wolf an NHL job, and that time has finally arrived.
The rebuild is officially on
Whether the Flames themselves want to admit it or not, the rebuild has now begun. Another core piece has been shipped out, and Markstrom was arguably one of the most important pieces if the Flames wanted to try to stay competitive.
Markstrom was the lone reason the Flames didn’t fall to the bottom five of the standings last season, and without him for a full season, I can say that there probably will not be too much winning happening next season (which is totally okay).
The draft is a week from now, and the Flames have to do whatever they can to continue to add to their futures pool, so it should be at the very least, an entertaining week.
Photo by Brett Holmes/Icon Sportswire
