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 document isn’t spectacular at first look, however he returned to being a top-10 goalie within the league by way of objectives saved above anticipated with 13.7, per MoneyPuck. He had a .905 SV%, 2.78 GAA and two shutouts behind a Flames crew 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 had been introduced down by a poor stretch of post-trade deadline play – an comprehensible hunch given the commerce rumors connecting him to New Jersey on the time and the very fact he was taking part in 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 take care of the Flames in free company in 2020, Markstrom has a .907 SV% over 212 begins and one aid 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 among 4 goalies to start out greater than 200 video games over that time-frame, becoming a member of perennial Vezina challengers Connor Hellebuyck, Juuse Saros and Andrei Vasilevskiy.
Touchdown Markstrom at $4.125M towards the cap for the following 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 diminished $1.925M cap hit because of 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 towards the cap.
Calling Markstrom actually elite would doubtless 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 document of any goalie the Devils have iced since Cory Schneider’s run of elite play within the mid-2010s. The deal has them significantly better positioned to make the playoffs subsequent season and embark on a deeper run than in 2022 once they escaped the primary spherical however had 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 change into a UFA in 2026 and ideally, by that time, one among Daws or Schmid may have developed into reliable NHL choices. Whereas on the older aspect, he matches properly with their quick timeline. They’re now left with $16.05M in projected cap house 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 prime prospect or their tenth total 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.
Shedding Bahl isn’t nothing, although. The 23-year-old was a second-round decide in 2018 out of OHL Ottawa. He did properly 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 enchantment for Calgary and GM Craig Conroy mentioned Wednesday he was a “precedence participant” all through discussions with the Devils (by way of Sportsnet’s Eric Francis). Nevertheless, his possession metrics final season had been subpar, logging a 48.3 CF% and 48.7 xGF% at even energy that each fell south of New Jersey crew averages.
Bahl remains to be younger, nonetheless, and carries official top-four shutdown upside. He’s underneath contract subsequent season at an inexpensive $1.05M cap hit and shall 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 ranking whereas logging 16:14 per contest.
If the Devils’ 2025 first-rounder does land throughout the prime 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.
