Issues turned south as he regressed to a .892 SV% in 2022-23, however he put collectively a pleasant rebound marketing campaign this season regardless of battling by way of a handful of accidents. His 23-23-2 file isn’t spectacular at first look, however he returned to being a top-10 goalie within the league when it comes to objectives saved above anticipated with 13.7, per MoneyPuck. He had a .905 SV%, 2.78 GAA and two shutouts behind a Flames staff that had its worst season defensively in fairly a while underneath first-year head coach Ryan Huska.
Even nonetheless, Markstrom’s outcomes final 12 months have been introduced down by a poor stretch of post-trade deadline play – an comprehensible droop given the commerce rumors connecting him to New Jersey on the time and the actual fact he was enjoying with a lower-body harm. From March 4 onward, he went 2-8-0 with a .869 SV% with out placing up an SV% over .900 in any single sport. To place it succinctly, Markstrom had a greater 12 months than a fast have a look at his outcomes would point out.
Since signing his six-year, $36M cope with the Flames in free company in 2020, Markstrom has a .907 SV% over 212 begins and one reduction look. That’s good for seven objectives saved above common, indicative of the peaks and valleys he’s proven throughout his time in Alberta. He’s one in every of 4 goalies to begin greater than 200 video games over that timeframe, becoming a member of perennial Vezina challengers Connor Hellebuyck, Juuse Saros and Andrei Vasilevskiy.
Touchdown Markstrom at $4.125M in opposition to the cap for the subsequent two seasons is a substantial low cost for Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald, because it’s a lot lower than he would value on the open market. He’ll kind a formidable veteran one-two punch in internet with Allen, who stays underneath contract with New Jersey subsequent season at a decreased $1.925M cap hit due to the Canadiens retaining wage when buying and selling him on the deadline. The Devils, after coping with youthful, extra inconsistent unknowns in Schmid and Vanecek for many of final season, now have an above-average backup and starter for a complete of $6.05M in opposition to the cap.
Calling Markstrom actually elite would probably earn you some push-back, given his year-to-year dips with Calgary and that push-back could be honest. However he has probably the most established monitor file of any goalie the Devils have iced since Cory Schneider’s run of elite play within the mid-2010s. The deal has them a lot better positioned to make the playoffs subsequent season and embark on a deeper run than in 2022 after they escaped the primary spherical however have been dispatched by the Hurricanes in 5 video games in Spherical 2. The 23-year-old Daws and 24-year-old Schmid are additionally afforded some extra improvement time within the AHL after an inconsistent 2023-24 marketing campaign for each.
Markstrom, 34, has two years left on his deal. He’ll turn into a UFA in 2026 and ideally, by that time, one in every of Daws or Schmid may have developed into reliable NHL choices. Whereas on the older facet, he suits nicely with their quick timeline. They’re now left with $16.05M in projected cap area with eight open roster spots, per CapFriendly. Versatile ahead Dawson Mercer is their solely notable RFA in want of a brand new deal.
New Jersey pulling off this deal with out surrendering a high prospect or their tenth general choice on this 12 months’s draft is an efficient piece of labor by Fitzgerald, particularly with the Flames retaining a substantial quantity of wage.
Dropping Bahl isn’t nothing, although. The 23-year-old was a second-round decide in 2018 out of OHL Ottawa. He did nicely this season, his first true full-time NHL marketing campaign, posting 11 factors in 82 video games whereas averaging 17:24 an evening. His 6-foot-6, 230-pound body clearly attracts attraction for Calgary and GM Craig Conroy mentioned Wednesday he was a “precedence participant” all through discussions with the Devils (through Sportsnet’s Eric Francis). Nevertheless, his possession metrics final season have been subpar, logging a 48.3 CF% and 48.7 xGF% at even energy that each fell south of New Jersey staff averages.
Bahl continues to be younger, nevertheless, and carries official top-four shutdown upside. He’s underneath contract subsequent season at an affordable $1.05M cap hit and will probably be an arbitration-eligible RFA subsequent summer season. In 148 profession video games with the Devils since making his debut within the 2020-21 season, Bahl has 4 objectives, 21 assists, 25 factors and a -1 score whereas logging 16:14 per contest.
If the Devils’ 2025 first-rounder does land throughout the high 10, they’ll switch their 2026 first-round decide to Calgary as a substitute, no matter its placement.
TSN’s Travis Yost was first to report Markstrom was headed to New Jersey whereas TSN’s Darren Dreger was first to report the commerce return and wage retention. Moreover, Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic was first to report the 2025 first-round decide was top-10 protected.
