The New Jersey Devils finally have their goalie.
The Calgary Flames traded netminder Jacob Markstrom to New Jersey in exchange for a top-10 protected 2025 first-round pick and defenseman Kevin Bahl, the teams announced.
Calgary is retaining 31.25% of Markstrom's salary, bringing his cap hit in New Jersey down to $4.125 million for the next two seasons. Markstrom waived his full no-movement clause to facilitate the move.
Markstrom has long been rumored to wind up in New Jersey, as the Devils reportedly attempted to trade for him at the 2024 deadline. The Devils ultimately traded for fellow veteran Jake Allen, whom Markstrom is expected to pair with in tandem next season.
New Jersey finished third last in the NHL with a team save percentage of .886 in 2023-24. Vitek Vanecek - now a member of the San Jose Sharks - and Nico Daws started the majority of games. Daws and fellow youngster Akira Schmid are both restricted free agents and project to serve as depth options in the AHL.
Markstrom went 23-23-2 with a .905 save percentage and a 2.78 goals-against average in 48 games with the Flames in 2023-24. His performance was much more impressive than the surface stats showed, though, as he finished third among NHL goaltenders with 28.93 goals saved above expected, per Evolving-Hockey.
The 34-year-old Swede finished as the Vezina Trophy runner-up in 2022 when he led the league with nine shutouts, and he finished fourth in Vezina voting during his final year with the Vancouver Canucks in 2020.
Markstrom has had some down years, though. In 2022-23 he was only slightly above average with a 1.5 GSAx mark. In 2020-21 his GSAx was minus-12.11.
Bahl, 23, is a 6-foot-6 defenseman. He's not known for his offensive abilities but averaged 17:24 of ice time in 82 games with the Devils last season while posting strong defensive metrics.
Bahl is under contract for one more season with a $1.05-million cap hit and will be an RFA when the deal expires. He can't become a UFA until 2027.
The New Westminster, British Columbia, native was a second-round pick of the Arizona Coyotes in 2018. The Devils acquired Bahl in 2019 as part of the trade that sent Taylor Hall to the desert.
Dan Vladar and Dustin Wolf currently lead Calgary's goalie depth chart.
The Flames now own six first-round picks over the next three drafts as they continue their youth movement under general manager Craig Conroy.
Copyright © 2024 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.