When the Devils acquired Jacob Markstrom two years ago, they were hoping to solidify their goaltending position, one that had been in flux for a little while. After a decent first season in New Jersey, now-former GM Tom Fitzgerald rewarded the 36-year-old with a two-year contract extension worth $6MM per season.
But things didn’t go as well in 2025-26. Markstrom wound up being the weaker netminder in the tandem with Jake Allen while the Devils missed the playoffs. Now, it appears that new GM Sunny Mehta is interested in shaking up the position once more. ESPN’s Kevin Weekes (Twitter link) and Sportsnet both report that the team is gauging what the trade market could be for Markstrom.
Markstrom played in 44 games this season, posting a 3.07 GAA along with a .883 SV%, his worst mark since his sophomore campaign back in 2013-14. In terms of Goals Saved Above Expected, he came in with a -11.9 rating per MoneyPuck; only nine goaltenders league-wide came in below that. Suffice it to say, the Devils aren’t exactly selling Markstrom at a high point in his value.
That said, it’s a thin free agent market for starting goaltenders with the list more or less starting and ending with Sergei Bobrovsky, who just happens to be one of the nine goalies who had a bigger negative than Markstrom in Goals Saved Above Expected. The belief is that he’s seeking somewhat of a longer-term deal despite the fact he turns 38 this fall. That has been a big holdup in why he and the Panthers have yet to work out a new contract.
Accordingly, the timing of this report makes a bit of sense for the Devils. If there’s a team wanting to add a starting goalie (with the belief he’ll rebound with a fresh start) but don’t want a long-term commitment, New Jersey can position Markstrom as that potential alternative. Again, he’s hardly worth peak value (certainly not the first-round pick plus a roster defender in Kevin Bahl that Fitzgerald gave up to get him) but if Mehta is trying to open up some cap flexibility this summer, this could be a way to do so.
Having said that, moving Markstrom would leave the Devils pretty thin between the pipes once more. Allen still has four years left on his deal but Nico Daws, once viewed as a possible longer-term option, didn’t exactly have a great showing with AHL Utica this season. With that in mind, it’s hard to think Mehta would want to go into next season with a tandem of Allen and Daws. Either a goalie would be coming back their way in any potential trade or they’d be looking to the free agent market to bring in at least a platoon partner for Allen.
It’s worth noting that Markstrom’s current deal, which runs through June 30th, carries a full no-move clause so, for the time being, he has full control over his future. However, come July 1st, his trade protection drops to a 20-team no-trade list, giving Mehta a few teams to potentially work with at a minimum. Weekes notes that no trade is imminent but Markstrom is now a name to keep an eye on in a thin goalie market this summer.
Photo courtesy of Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images.
Sounds like a goalie right up the Oilers alley
Cricket riding a tumbleweed.