Let's talk Jacob Markstrom

Should the New Jersey Devils seriously pursue Markstrom this summer? I weighed the pros and cons.

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The New Jersey Devils were heavily linked to Jacob Markstrom leading up to the trade deadline.

It was widely reported the two sides were on the brink of an agreement – or had reached one entirely, only for a deal to be nixed by Calgary Flames ownership. Whatever the case, there was certainly fire accompanying all the smoke.

Markstrom was understandably unhappy with how things played out and would like to be moved in the off-season.

It certainly showed in his play down the stretch. Markstrom’s numbers fell off a cliff after being one of the league’s best goaltenders for the first 75% of the season.

Even so, Markstrom still put together an excellent season in aggregate and will no doubt remain a desirable option for teams looking to add a No. 1 goaltender – with the Devils probably at the top of the list.

Let’s take a look at some of the pros and cons of pursuing Markstrom.

Pros

• Markstrom is coming off a truly exceptional season. The wheels fell off down the stretch with an unhappy goaltender playing behind a Flames team that gutted its defense core before the deadline. And yet he still managed to finish 9th in Goals Saved Above Expected. That marks the second time in three years he has finished 12th or higher by GSAE. I don’t know that Markstrom is elite but he’s probably in the second tier of starting goaltenders and can comfortably be relied upon to give the team solid netminding while carrying a heavy workload.

• Markstrom has posted a .839 save percentage against high-danger shots over the past three years, tying him with the likes of Connor Hellebuyck for 12th best in the NHL. In recent years the Devils have lacked guys capable of making the big save – how many times have they gotten a bunch of chances only for one big one to end up in the net at the other end? – and Markstrom would change that.

• He brings a stable floor to the table. He has posted a .904 save percentage or better in eight of the past nine seasons. The lone exception came last year in a season where the Flames seemed to turn on Darryl Sutter and strong seasons were few and far between on the roster.

• He carries a no-movement clause and has a lot of control over his situation. All of the control, even. Markstrom is probably not going to be too lenient with the Flames after asking him to waive, only to pull the plug last minute. The Flames are in a position where they need to move Markstrom but only have the option to send him where he’s willing. If Markstrom is only going to waive for New Jersey and/or a select few teams, the cost won’t be as high as it should be.