NHL Trade Deadline: Calgary G Jacob Markstrom: NHL: World of Sports News

The Calgary Flames' season didn't go as planned and the team began the process of transitioning valuable veterans to future assets.

Two weeks ago, they traded forward Elias Lindholm to Pacific Division rival Vancouver and got help in the form of winger Andrei Kuzmenko, a 2024 first-round pick and a pair of future defensemen.

The Flames have other top-tier veterans, including defensemen Noah Hanifin and Chris Tanev, but goaltender Jacob Markstrom is an interesting situation given the number of teams needed between the pipes and his contract situation.

Let's take a look at the season Markstrom is having, where he might fit, and where the Flames might return to replace him.

NHL Trade Deadline: Jacob Markstrom

The rest of the contract: 3 years at $6M AAV

Possible directions: New Jersey, Carolina, Colorado

Calgary's netminder has been one of the most reliable players in the league this season. His .916 save percentage ranks 8th among NHL goaltenders, and he has a track record of being a solid starter with just one bad season since 2015.

Markstrom's market is complicated by the amount of time left on his contract and his dollar value. Competing teams in need of a goaltender this offseason may be hesitant to commit to the remaining two years of Markstrom's deal beyond this year, especially since contending teams are typically on a shrinking payroll.

Carolina and Colorado are the two obvious candidates with needs on the line. Aleksandr Georgiev got the win for Colorado, but his save percentage left a lot to be desired, and if Colorado can legitimately have a top-tier goaltender, they could enter April as the top dog in the league.

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The Hurricanes relied on Petr Kochetkov and Antti Raanta, and Frederik Andersen was linked with a blood clot. Raanta has struggled this year, while Kochetkov has been solid but has missed time with a concussion and shouldn't be asked to do too much given his young age and stage of development. Andersen received permission to continue work. skate, so Carolina may opt to hit the goaltender trade market and hope for his rebound.

On Saturday night's Hockey Night in Canada, insider Elliott Friedman reported that “the Flames and Devils have advanced somewhat in contract negotiations for Markstrom, but have broken off due to disagreements over Markstrom's contract retention.”

The Devils sputtered this season, but the remaining time on Markstrom's deal could be a positive for them given their long-term need in net, who can count on next year and the young talent on the roster.

If the Flames can get a return that Markstrom likes and find a suitor for him, it could be a huge boost to the playoff hopes of the team that acquired him. Every year we see a really good team or two go down because they can't save a playoff run, and a steady presence like Markstrom can avoid that fate.

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