The Devils have their goalie. New Jersey announced the acquisition of Jacob Markström from the Flames for defenseman Kevin Bahl and their 2025 first-round pick, which is top-10 protected. Calgary is retaining 31.25% of Markström’s $6MM cap hit in the trade, bringing it down to $4.125MM for the Devils.
Speculation about New Jersey picking up a high-end starter had run rampant as far back as midseason. The Devils looked like a team on a meteoric rise after last season’s 112-point showing, but below-average performances from all three goalies they started the season with (Nico Daws, Akira Schmid, Vítek Vaněček) were one of the many factors that brought them back below the .500 mark this year.
After shipping out Vaněček to the Sharks at the trade deadline and getting some stopgap solutions in Jake Allen and Kaapo Kähkönen, they now have their bonafide starter. It took the 2008 second-rounder quite a while to break out, but he took over the crease for the Canucks in the 2017-18 season and hasn’t looked back. The 6’6″ netminder has finished top 10 in Vezina balloting in three of the past six seasons, including a second-place finish in 2022. That was a statement year for him and the rest of the Flames, as he tossed up a .922 SV% and a league-leading nine shutouts in 63 starts as Calgary won the Pacific Division title, just its second since 2006.
Things turned south as he regressed to a .892 SV% in 2022-23, but he put together a nice rebound campaign this season despite battling through a handful of injuries. His 23-23-2 record isn’t impressive at first glance, but he returned to being a top-10 goalie in the league in terms of goals saved above expected with 13.7, per MoneyPuck. He had a .905 SV%, 2.78 GAA and two shutouts behind a Flames team that had its worst season defensively in quite some time under first-year head coach Ryan Huska.
Even still, Markström’s results last year were brought down by a poor stretch of post-trade deadline play – an understandable slump given the trade rumors connecting him to New Jersey at the time and the fact he was playing with a lower-body injury. From March 4 onward, he went 2-8-0 with a .869 SV% without putting up an SV% over .900 in any single game. To put it succinctly, Markström had a better year than a quick look at his results would indicate.
Since signing his six-year, $36MM deal with the Flames in free agency in 2020, Markström has a .907 SV% over 212 starts and one relief appearance. That’s good for seven goals saved above average, indicative of the peaks and valleys he’s shown during his time in Alberta. He’s one of four goalies to start more than 200 games over that timeframe, joining perennial Vezina challengers Connor Hellebuyck, Juuse Saros and Andrei Vasilevskiy.
Landing Markström at $4.125MM against the cap for the next two seasons is a considerable discount for Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald, as it’s much less than he would cost on the open market. He’ll form a formidable veteran one-two punch in net with Allen, who remains under contract with New Jersey next season at a reduced $1.925MM cap hit thanks to the Canadiens retaining salary when trading him at the deadline. The Devils, after dealing with younger, more inconsistent unknowns in Schmid and Vaněček for most of last season, now have an above-average backup and starter for a total of $6.05MM against the cap.
Calling Markström truly elite would likely earn you some pushback, given his year-to-year dips with Calgary, and that pushback would be fair. But he has the most established track record of any goalie the Devils have iced since Cory Schneider’s run of elite play in the mid-2010s. The deal has them much better positioned to make the playoffs next season and embark on a deeper run than in 2022 when they escaped the first round but were dispatched by the Hurricanes in five games in Round 2. The 23-year-old Daws and 24-year-old Schmid are also afforded some additional development time in the AHL after an inconsistent 2023-24 campaign for both.
Markström, 34, has two years left on his deal. He’ll become a UFA in 2026, and ideally, by that point, one of Daws or Schmid will have developed into dependable NHL options. While on the older side, he fits well with their immediate timeline. They’re now left with $16.05MM in projected cap space with eight open roster spots, per CapFriendly. Versatile forward Dawson Mercer is their only notable RFA in need of a new deal.
New Jersey pulling off this deal without surrendering a top prospect or their 10th overall selection in this year’s draft is a good piece of work by Fitzgerald, especially with the Flames retaining a considerable amount of salary.
Losing Bahl isn’t nothing, though. The 23-year-old was a second-round pick in 2018 out of OHL Ottawa. He did well this season, his first true full-time NHL campaign, posting 11 points in 82 games while averaging 17:24 a night. His 6’6″, 230-lb frame obviously draws appeal for Calgary, and GM Craig Conroy said today he was a “priority player” throughout discussions with the Devils (via Sportsnet’s Eric Francis). However, his possession metrics last season were subpar, logging a 48.3 CF% and 48.7 xGF% at even strength that both fell south of New Jersey team averages.
Bahl is still young, however, and carries legitimate top-four shutdown upside. He’s under contract next season at a reasonable $1.05MM cap hit and will be an arbitration-eligible RFA next summer. In 148 career games with the Devils since making his debut in the 2020-21 season, Bahl has four goals, 21 assists, 25 points and a -1 rating while logging 16:14 per contest.
If the Devils’ 2025 first-rounder does land within the top 10, they’ll transfer their 2026 first-round pick to Calgary instead, regardless of its placement.
Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.
TSN’s Travis Yost was first to report Markström was headed to New Jersey.
TSN’s Darren Dreger was first to report the trade return and salary retention.
Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic was first to report the 2025 first-round pick was top-10 protected.
Why does this feel like Corey Schneider all over again?
Glass half full kinda guy?
I dunno, Schneider was only 27 when he went to NJ and was basically out of hockey by age 34. Markstrom is already 34 as we speak.
The New Jersey Devils are finally getting their star goalie, as they have acquired Jacob Markstrom from the Calgary Flames in exchange for defenseman Kevin Bahl and a 2025 first-round pick, which is top 10 protected. The Flames will also retain 31.25% ($1.875 million) of Markstrom’s salary.
Jacob Markström & Jake Allen create a nice one-two punch in net for NJD & should make them a true playoff contender. Markström should have an improvement in his numbers next season as he’ll be on a better team overall though NJD could still use some defensive depth enhancement. Credit GM Tom Fitzgerald on making a good deal overall & still being able to keep cap flexibility. NJD isn’t my team but a good move is a good move. Markström brings credibility for them in net which you need to have for sustainability.
Calgary had one of the best Defense corp and Markstrom was Mediocre. What makes you think he’s your savior now?
Neither Markstrom or Allen have ever done anything in the playoffs. Other than Allen’s 24 minutes TOI the year they won the cup.
Calgary had -14 goal differential, their defense wasn’t one of the best by any means lol. A goalie can only do so much if the defensive core is subpar which Calgary was.
Markström is my savior?!? Learn to comprehend what you read genius. I said in my post NJD isn’t my team.
It takes a team to win in the playoffs not just the goalie & a lot of circumstances play into things when it comes to playoffs. If goalies don’t have a solid defensive core around them, it doesn’t matter who they are, they will struggle, if not, fail. Also, you contradict yourself saying Allen has not done anything in the playoffs yet he’s won a Cup. That’s doing something in the playoffs, it don’t matter. You should change your name to Mr. Magoo instead.
He played 24 minutes and saved 3 of 4 shots. He didn’t contribute to anything.
You should change your named to FeelingMyHusbandsThunder.
“Calgary had one of the best Defense corp”
When you lose an argument from the very first sentence
If Markstrom is getting that much of a return, imagine what Saros might fetch in a trade?! :0
Won’t Matter. You could have had Bobrosky, Shesterkin, Hollybuck, defense weak then goalie is dead duck.. They tried what 3,4,5, goalies?
Flames well into their rebuild. Likely a top-4 draft pick in 2025 next …
Their defence got better. Their goalie got worse. Their coaching is better and it looks like Huberdeau could be out of his own doghouse after a bit of a resurgence late last season.
I see Calgary as a middle-of-the-road team.
I’m just saying if they want to rebuild right they’ll have at least one top-4 draft pick…
Meh. I can live with markstrom but they paid too much imo
They retained money and didn’t surrender a pick this year. Jury is left out on Bahl, but based on the past 20 seasons it is not an overpay.
WTH are the Devils thinking? Wrong goalie, overpaid.
can taste the desperation.. flames get a first in what should be the better draft .. ironic if the pick turns into hagens
Dustin Wolf the new starter in Calgary?
Its Wolf’s position to win or lose.
How are trades permitted while the playoffs are still on?