In the midst of the Stanley Cup final still going on, we have a pre-offseason splash of a trade that went down today between the New Jersey Devils and Calgary Flames. Jacob Markstrom is on his way to the Garden State to become the Devils number one goalie in between the pipes after agreeing to to waive his no trade clause. This is a previously rumored trade that has been in discussion between the two teams heading up to the trade deadline that didn’t come into fruition until today.
New Jersey is sending defenseman Kevin Bahl and a 2025 first round draft pick that is top ten lottery protected in exchange for Markstrom. The Calgary Flames are also retaining slightly over thirty percent of Markstrom’s salary in this trade as well. Below is an announcement from the Devils with details of the trade and my reaction to Markstrom becoming a Devil:
NJ Devils trade announcement
Scott’s take
This was a trade the New Jersey Devils had to and wanted to make going back to the trade deadline. Goaltending besides health was a HUGE problem for the team. Vitek Vanecek (who was eventually traded to San Jose) & Akira Schmid last season in particular demonstrated they were not the answer in goal for the team going forward. Getting Markstrom to pair with Jake Allen who was acquired at the deadline turns what once was a weakness now into a strength. There’s no doubt about who the number one goalie is anymore as we’ve all seen what Jacob Markstrom can do in net and is a former Vezina trophy finalist. Allen is a great backup with plenty of experience and has won a Stanley Cup previously with the St. Louis Blues. I’m looking forward to seeing a more stabilized & well performing goalie tandem in New Jersey.
As for what the Devils are giving up, they are losing Kevin Bahl who’s starting to figure out what it takes to be a reliable and dependable NHL defenseman. Bahl can be a tough, mean, and nasty defender to play against who has great size to use to his advantage. On the other hand, the Devils have plenty of upcoming defense prospects who are ready to play with plenty of talent. As they say, you have to give something to get something.
Now to the draft pick. The fact New Jersey was able to hold onto this years number ten overall pick and lottery protect next years first rounder are great signs. I anticipate the Devils using this years pick to either acquire a top six forward or top four defenseman. This gives them the flexibility to go out and make a big move to help improve the team and get them back into the playoffs. By protecting next year‘s pick, it definitely helps because next year’s draft is supposed to be really deep with a very good prospect pool. Overall, this trade is a win win for the New Jersey Devils. Stay tuned as the offseason heat will get turned up soon after the Stanley Cup has been awarded.
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