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Jacob Markstrom

Devils Sign Jacob Markstrom To Two-Year Extension

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After New Jersey re-signed Luke Hughes at the beginning of the month, their focus shifted toward keeping one of their pending UFAs in the fold in goaltender Jacob Markstrom.  Those efforts have paid off as the Devils announced that they’ve signed goaltender Jacob Markstrom to a two-year, $12MM contract extension.

The 35-year-old is in his second season with New Jersey after being acquired from Calgary a little before the 2024 draft in exchange for a 2025 first-round pick (used on Cole Reschny) and defenseman Kevin Bahl.  The hope was that acquiring him, coupled with the addition of Jake Allen a few months earlier, would help stabilize a goaltending position that had been in some flux for a while.

Mission accomplished on that front.  After allowing 281 goals in 2023-24, the Devils cut that amount by 61 last season, allowing the fifth-fewest goals in the league in the process.  Markstrom played a big role in that success, posting a 2.50 GAA and a .900 SV% in 49 regular season starts while also putting up a 2.78 GAA and a .911 SV% in their first-round playoff exit at the hands of Carolina.  He’s not off to a great start this season, however, with a 5.13 GAA and a .830 SV% in four appearances but he’s also just coming back from a lower-body injury.

Over his 16-year career between Vancouver, Florida, Calgary, and New Jersey, Markstrom has a 243-214-63 record with a 2.72 GAA,  a .908 SV%, and 24 shutouts.  He has typically been one of the more consistent goalies in recent years, providing a strong return on his current six-year contract, one that expires next summer and also carries a cap hit of $6MM per season.  However, the Devils will be responsible for that full amount, unlike now, where the Flames are picking up $1.875MM of Markstrom’s price tag as part of the swap.

A few months ago, New Jersey signed Allen to a five-year deal, a surprising term for someone just a few months younger than Markstrom.  But the benefit in doing so was that the cap hit came in at $1.8MM, well below his market value when many expected he’d get more than twice that much per season.  Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic reports (Twitter link) that Markstrom’s camp appeared to be looking for something similar, a fixed sum of money but they were open to spreading it out over a longer term like Allen.  However, the Devils were firm on a shorter-term agreement, even though it means a higher AAV.

With this deal done, New Jersey now has their goalie tandem intact for the next couple of seasons at a combined $7.8MM price tag, just 7.5% of the projected $104MM Upper Limit for next season.  That’s a solid price tag for a capable and experienced tandem, giving GM Tom Fitzgerald a bit of flexibility to work with.  With this deal now done, the Devils have a little over $10MM in spending room for next season, per PuckPedia, with pending RFAs Simon Nemec, Arseny Gritsyuk, and Paul Cotter highlighting the list of players in need of new deals over the next ten or so months.

ESPN’s Emily Kaplan was the first to report the signing.

Photo courtesy of Ed Mulholland-Imagn Images.

Devils Notes: Bordeleau, Markstrom, Lammikko

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The New Jersey Devils acquired depth winger Thomas Bordeleau in a trade for center Shane Bowers in early July. In reflecting on that trade on Saturday, Bordeleau told Kristy Flannery of The Hockey News that he requested a trade from San Jose before the 2025 Trade Deadline. He explained that he didn’t feel he got a fair opportunity after coming back from an injury sustained in the 2023-24 training camp. With the path blocked ahead of him, he felt it was time for the fresh start.

After a full year with the San Jose Barracuda last year, Bordeleau hasn’t yet found a way to break out of the AHL in the Devils’ organization. He has two points, six penalty minutes, and a minus-four through five games with the Utica Comets this season – far below the scoring pace that led him to 38 poinnts in 59 games with the Barracuda last year. Bordeleau split time between the NHL and AHL lineups for three years before last season, ultimately totaling 18 points in 44 games in the Sharks’ lineup. With a quiet start to the 2025-26 season, Bourdeleau likely sits behind a few AHL teammates on New Jersey’s call-up chart.

Other notes out of New Jersey:

  • Starting goaltender Jacob Markstrom returned to the Devils’ practice on Saturday, per team reporter Amanda Stein. He will travel with the team on their upcoming road trip to the west coast, which spans matchups against the Colorado Avalanche, San Jose Sharks, Los Angeles Kings, and Anaheim Ducks. Markstrom has already missed five games with a lower-body injury sustained in October 13th’s win over the Columbus Blue Jackets. He has a meager .845 save percentage through parts of three games this season – far below the .900 he posted in 49 games last year. A return to practice will put Markstrom on pace to soon return to the crease, and begin working on improving those numbers.
  • Stein also shared that depth forward Juho Lammikko participated in practice in place of top center Nico Hischier, who sat out for a maintenance day. Lammikko is not yet ready to return to the lineup, though he’s continuing to progress from a lower-body injury sustained before the start of the season. Lammikko has had intermittent stints in the NHL. He played in 40 games, and recorded six points, with the Florida Panthers in 2018-19 – then spent one season in both Finland’s Liiga and Russia’s KHL. He returned to the NHL for 119 games, combined between the Panthers and Vancouver Canucks between 2020 and 2022. He scored 20 points in those appearances. Lammikko has spent the last three years in a starring role for Zurich SC in Switzerland’s National League. His hot scoring – 112 points in 144 games – helped lead Zurich to back-to-back championships in 2024 and 2025. Now, Lammikko is nearing his first chance to crack into the Devils’ lineup.

Devils Notes: Markstrom, Hamilton, Glass

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It’s been an active day for the New Jersey Devils, as they’ve not only made a few roster moves, but the team’s general manager, Tom Fitzgerald, spoke on a variety of topics with The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun. One of those topics was the status of starting netminder Jacob Markstrom, who is currently out with an injury. Fitzgerald expressed confidence that Markstrom would eventually return from his injury this season, stating “Marky is on the ice. He’s skating,” while adding that the team “won’t rush him back.” LeBrun noted that the team’s “hope is to extend Markstrom,” who is playing out the final year of a $6MM AAV deal.

Fitzgerald said that Markstrom’s agent, Newport’s Pat Morris, and he “have been talking for a long time,” and will have another talk this week. LeBrun noted that “term will be the most delicate part of that negotiation” of Markstrom’s next deal, as he is set to turn 36 before next season. Markstrom has certainly lined himself upfor a healthy next contract over the course of his most recent deal. He was the runner-up for the Vezina Trophy as a member of the Calgary Flames and helped the Devils reach the playoffs last season. Markstrom has made 51 starts in his Devils career, going 28-17-6 with a 2.56 goals-against average and .898 save percentage.

Other notes from Newark:

  • LeBrun’s interview also covered the status of top blueliner Dougie Hamilton, who is now one of two Devils blueliners making $9MM per year thanks to the recent signing of Luke Hughes. LeBrun noted that “there are certainly other NHL front offices keeping a close eye” on Hamilton’s status now that Hughes has signed, “in the event Hamilton becomes available at some point.” Fitzgerald downplayed the impact of Hughes’ signing on Hamilton’s future in New Jersey, though. The Devils’ GM indicated that the team feels having each defenseman capable of quarterbacking a power play is an asset, not an inefficiency in need of correction.
  • The Devils announced today that center Cody Glass will miss their game against the Minnesota Wild as he manages an upper-body injury. Glass lined up as the Devils’ third-line center yesterday against the Toronto Maple Leafs, and head coach Sheldon Keefe re-structured his team’s lines to account for Glass’ absence. Dawson Mercer moved down from the second-line right wing spot next to Nico Hischier to center the third line and was replaced by rookie Arseni Gritsyuk, whose own third-line spot was filled by Paul Cotter. Cotter was elevated from the fourth-line and replaced by Stefan Noesen, who will make his 2025-26 debut tonight. Glass, who has dealt with persistent injury troubles throughout his NHL career, got off to a decent start to the season in New Jersey, scoring two goals in six games.

Jacob Markström Out “A Couple Of Weeks”

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The Devils announced that goaltender Jacob Markström will be sidelined for “a couple of weeks” after sustaining an injury in Monday’s win over the Blue Jackets. It’s a lower-body concern, per the team’s Amanda Stein. The starting netminder appeared banged up after being caught in a pileup during a Columbus goal with 21 seconds left in the contest. He stayed in the game, which backup Jake Allen started but left after the second period due to cramping, but was visibly ginger while leaving the ice.

Markström was not present at this morning’s practice. The team already recalled Nico Daws from AHL Utica this morning to serve as Allen’s backup while the veteran takes over the starter’s crease for the time being. The latter was a full participant today and looks clear to play against the Panthers tomorrow despite his early departure from Monday’s game.

Markström, a one-time All-Star and Vezina Trophy finalist, made 49 starts last season en route to a 26-16-6 record, .900 SV%, 2.50 GAA, and four shutouts. He hadn’t been out to as strong a start this year. While he’s been the goalie of record in all three games for New Jersey’s 2-1-0 start, allowing that goal in his relief performance brought his individual numbers down to a .845 SV% and 3.89 GAA, allowing nine goals on 58 shots faced. The injury comes in a contract year for Markström, who was reported to be in extension talks with the Devils earlier this month.

In the interim, the Devils shouldn’t be too uncomfortable with an Allen-Daws tandem, providing the former can stay healthy. The 24-year-old Daws was exceptional when called upon in similar situations last year, posting a 3-1-0 record and .939 SV% with a 1.60 GAA in six appearances. With that in mind, it might behoove the Devils to give them a split workload for the time being instead of overrelying on the 35-year-old Allen, ensuring they don’t lose both of their top two goaltending options to injuries.

Behind Daws, New Jersey doesn’t have a ton of available depth and would need to make a trade, signing, or waiver claim if someone else gets hurt. Their first recall option would be 23-year-old Jakub Málek, a 2021 fourth-round pick in his first season in North America. Behind him on the depth chart is 22-year-old Tyler Brennan, a 2022 fourth-rounder who’s starting his season down with ECHL Adirondack and has zero games of AHL experience through two pro seasons.

Evening Notes: Markstrom, Willander, Mancini, NHL Top 10

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The New Jersey Devils could be the next team to extend their starting goaltender. On the heels of a five-year, $34MM contract extension for Minnesota Wild goaltender Filip Gustavsson, the Devils are now working out a new deal for Jacob Markstrom, per The Fourth Period. Markstrom is entering the final year of a six-year, $36MM contract originally signed with the Calgary Flames in 2020.

Markstrom earned a second-place finish in Vezina Trophy voting on the second year of his last contract, after posting 37 wins and a .922 save percentage in 63 games of the Flames’ 2021-22 season. He fell drastically in 2022, landing at a .895 save percentage in 59 games with Calgary, and only rebounded to a .905 in 48 games of 2023-24. That prompted a summer trade to greener pastures, landing Markstrom with a playoff contender in the New Jersey Devils. He posted a middling .900 save percentage in 49 games of his first season with the Devils. That’s far from the .910 mark that Markstrom routinely challenged at his peak, but on a well-rounded Devils squad, average numbers from the aging veteran have proven supportive enough. He is sure to take a big hit on both term and salary in his next contract, which could take him through the rest of his career.

Other notes from across the league:

  • The Vancouver Canucks made a pair of important decisions earlier today. They have assigned top defense prospects Tom Willander and Victor Mancini to the minor-leagues, after both clung to the camp roster to nearly the final day. Mancini played his first full season in the pros last year. It was certainly eventful, spread between NHL and AHL ice time with the New York Rangers and Canucks, and ending with a Calder Cup win with the Abbotsford Canucks. In total, he recorded eight points in 31 NHL games and 21 points in 54 AHL games on the season. Meanwhile, Tom Willander was a core piece of the National Championship runner-up, the Boston University Terriers. He posted 24 points in 39 games with the club – one point fewer, in one game more, than he managed in his freshman season. Willander is nonetheless a pillar of consistency on both ends of the ice, and will look to prove that soon with his pro debut in Abbotsford.
  • The NHL has announced their top-10 players, wrapping up their Top 50 Players series just two days before Opening Night. The list is, of course, headlined by Edmonton Oilers superstar Connor McDavid. His teammate, Leon Draisaitl, holds the third spot, while Colorado Avalanche superstars Nathan MacKinnon and Cale Makar hold #2 and #4 respectively. The rest of the list includes, in turn: Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov, Panthers center Aleksander Barkov, Penguins center Sidney Crosby, Jets goalie and reigning MVP Connor Hellebuyck, Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy, and Canucks defender Quinn Hughes. It’s hard to argue any other names should be featured on the list, though Panthers fans may feel salt in the wound seeing their captain, and perennial Selke Trophy candidate, landing in the top-10 on the heels of a season-ending injury.

Devils Discussing Extension With Jacob Markstrom

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After being speculatively linked to New Jersey for a big portion of the 2023-24 season, goaltender Jacob Markstrom accepted a trade to the Devils last summer a little before the draft with a first-round pick and defenseman Kevin Bahl going the other way.  The netminder is now entering the final year of his contract and speaking with reporters today (video link), GM Tom Fitzgerald indicated that there are talks about signing Markstrom to a contract extension.

The 35-year-old had a decent first season with the Devils in 2024-25.  While he dealt with a knee injury late in the year, he still got into 49 games where he posted a 2.50 GAA and a .900 SV% along with four shutouts.  While those aren’t elite numbers, they were still a fair bit better than the 3.12 GAA and a .896 SV% that New Jersey’s netminders played to the year before so it’s understandable that Fitzgerald would like to keep that stability in the fold a little longer.  Markstrom also stated a willingness to sign a new deal back in the spring after the team was eliminated in the first round.

Markstrom is set to make $6MM this season although the Devils are only responsible for $4.125MM of that with Calgary picking up the rest as part of the trade.  In order to keep him around, they’ll likely have to give him a raise on his current full salary, given the inflationary rate of salaries.

While he’s no longer in the tier of netminders that have pushed past the $8MM mark on their respective deals in recent seasons, there’s a case to make that Markstrom could split the difference and land somewhere in the $7MM territory.  That, coupled with the $1.8MM that Jake Allen will take home for the next half-decade, would allow them to have their goaltending tandem locked up at a reasonable combined rate.

The future of Nico Daws is in question now with Allen signed for so long, while their other prospects (Jakub Malek, Tyler Brennan, and Mikhail Yegorov) aren’t close to being NHL-ready (or even signed, in Yegorov’s case).  Accordingly, getting Markstrom signed for another two or three seasons would give them continued short-term competitiveness between the pipes while allowing them ample time to assess if any of their prospects have a viable NHL future.  This isn’t necessarily a pressing case, especially compared to unsigned defenseman Luke Hughes but it wouldn’t be surprising to see the two sides work something out in the coming weeks.

Metro Notes: Devils, Ovechkin, Capitals, Hart, Foerster, Bonk

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Before taking the ice for the first session of training camp, the New Jersey Devils shared several updates on absent players. Netminder Jacob Markström, defenseman Johnathan Kovacevic, forward Stefan Noesen, and prospects Shane Lachance and Lenni Hämeenaho were all absent from today’s skate.

Fortunately, Markström’s absence isn’t linked to an injury, as the Devils announced he’s dealing with a family matter. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for Noesen and Kovacevic. As expected, New Jersey stated that Kovacevic is still recovering from offseason knee surgery and that he’s out indefinitely.

Meanwhile, Noesen continues to deal with a nagging groin issue, which required a procedure this summer. However, unlike Kovacevic’s timeline, the Devils didn’t indicate how long Noesen would miss or his status for the start of the regular season. Lachance and Hämeenaho were injured in the team’s rookie camp, though they’re each expected to begin the year with the AHL Utica Comets, regardless of their health status.

Other updates from the Metropolitan Division:

  • The Washington Capitals got a brief scare this morning when captain Alex Ovechkin left the team’s skate early, failing to return. Fortunately, it’s nothing serious, as Sammi Silber of DC Backcheck shared an update from head coach Spencer Carbery saying that Ovechkin is dealing with a mild lower-body injury, and his recovery timeline is day-to-day.
  • Unfortunately, a few more members of the Capitals’ roster are dealing with mild injuries. Earlier today, Tarik El-Bashir of Monumental Sports Network reported that defenseman Martin Fehérváry and Justin Sourdif are skating in non-contact jerseys for today’s skate. Still, El-Bashir, nor anyone within the Capitals organization, has indicated that the injuries will affect either of their regular-season availability.
  • If the Pittsburgh Penguins want prospect Joel Blomqvist to have more seasoning in the AHL, and Arturs Silovs doesn’t build on his excellent AHL campaign last year, the Penguins have little else behind Tristan Jarry, if he’s even capable of handling a majority of the workload. Regardless, they won’t be seeking outside help from a former top-prospect netminder who was recently allowed back into the NHL. Earlier today, Josh Yohe of The Athletic reported that Pittsburgh wouldn’t be one of the teams targeting Carter Hart over the next couple of weeks.
  • Philadelphia Flyers forward Tyson Foerster continues his speedy recovery from elbow surgery. Providing an update in today’s media availability (via Jordan Hall of NBC Sports Philadelphia), Foerster remains hopeful he could shed his non-contact jersey during training camp and is still expecting to be ready for the start of the regular season.
  • Another member of the Flyers is dealing with an injury, albeit a mild one. Philadelphia announced that defenseman Oliver Bonk is dealing with an upper-body injury, and he’ll miss the next few days. Bonk is entering his first year of professional hockey, likely with the AHL’s Lehigh Valley Phantoms, after spending the last three years with the OHL’s London Knights.

Team Sweden Announces 2025 World Championship Roster

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Team Sweden has announced their roster for the upcoming 2025 IIHF World Championships. The ’Tre Konor’ will look to finish higher than third place in the international tournament for the first time since 2018.

The team will look similar to the one Sweden brought to the 4 Nations Face-Off in February. Filip Forsberg, Lucas Raymond, and Mika Zibanejad will reprise their roles as Sweden’s top forwards, while Rasmus Andersson and Jonas Brodin will lead the defensive core.

Unfortunately, the team will be without forward William Eklund for the tournament due to offseason wrist surgery. Sweden is expected to announce Eklund’s replacement in the coming days. The rest of Team Sweden’s roster is as follows:

F Mikael Backlund (Flames)
F Anton Bengtsson (Rögle BK)
F Leo Carlsson (Ducks)
F Christoffer Ehn (Linköping HC)
F Filip Forsberg (Predators)
F Max Friberg (Frölunda HC)
F Jesper Frödén (ZSC Lions)
F Marcus Johansson (Wild)
F Elias Lindholm (Bruins)
F Isac Lundeström (Ducks)
F Lucas Raymond (Red Wings)
F Alexander Wennberg (Sharks)
F Mika Zibanejad (Rangers)

D Rasmus Andersson (Flames)
D Jonas Brodin (Wild)
D Gabriel Carlsson (EV Zug)
D Simon Edvinsson (Red Wings)
D Adam Larsson (Kraken)
D Marcus Pettersson (Canucks)

G Samuel Ersson (Flyers)
G Jacob Markström (Devils)
G Arvid Söderblom (Blackhawks)

Devils Notes: Markström, Pesce, Lazar, Palát

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Despite a five-game loss to the Hurricanes in the first round, Jacob Markström backstopped his Devils with one of the best goaltending performances of the postseason. He posted a .911 SV% and 2.78 GAA behind an injury-plagued New Jersey defense, including a spectacular 49-save performance in Game 5’s double-overtime loss. Through five games, Markström’s 5.7 goals saved above expected lead the playoffs, per MoneyPuck.

On the heels of that strong showing in his first year in New Jersey, Markström enters next season as a pending unrestricted free agent and becomes eligible to sign an extension on July 1. That’s something he has a strong interest in doing. “If [general manager Tom Fitzgerald] is calling, I’m answering,” the netminder told reporters today during end-of-season media availability (per James Nichols of New Jersey Hockey Now).

Markström is entering the final season of the six-year, $36MM contract he signed with the Flames in free agency in 2020. The Devils are only on the hook for $4.125MM of his $6MM cap hit, though, as Calgary retained 31.25% of his deal when they traded him to New Jersey last offseason. He had a somewhat pedestrian regular season, logging a .900 SV%, 2.50 GAA, and 3.4 GSAx in 49 starts, but the one-time All-Star was still a marked improvement over the goaltending that arguably tanked the Devils’ 2023-24 campaign.

He’ll be 36 next summer, so a long-term deal certainly isn’t in the cards. Injuries remain somewhat of a concern, especially given his age – he’s now missed at least 10 games in back-to-back years. His age also means the Devils can give him performance bonuses on a one-year extension to keep his initial cap hit down. If he wants a multi-year commitment, though, he’s ineligible for performance bonuses.

Here’s more on the Devils:

  • New Jersey lost defensemen Brenden Dillon and Luke Hughes in Game 1 for the rest of the series, and they weren’t the only rearguards hurt in that contest. Brett Pesce told reporters today he sustained a shoulder injury in the opening game of the postseason but played through it, per the club’s Amanda Stein. It’s unclear whether he’ll require offseason surgery. Pesce has a history of shoulder issues, missing the tail end of the 2017-18 season before eventually undergoing surgery on his right shoulder in February 2020. Pesce struggled to the tune of 17 points and a minus-five rating in 72 games for the Devils this year after signing a six-year, $33MM deal in free agency last summer.
  • Center Curtis Lazar’s knee injury never fully healed after making an earlier-than-expected return to the lineup in December, he told Nichols. He underwent surgery on Oct. 27 but was back in the lineup less than two months later, although he did miss a few games later in the season. The pending unrestricted free agent expressed a desire to be back in Newark next year. While he recorded just five points in 48 contests in 2024-25, he’s one year removed from a career-high 25 points and a +10 rating in 71 games. A healthy Lazar can be an effective bottom-six talent, especially if he returns on a deal similar to his current $1MM cap hit.
  • Winger Ondřej Palát will not be representing his native Czechia at this year’s World Championship, per Stein. The 34-year-old managed only 28 points in 75 games this year, a career-low in a full season, and had two assists in five postseason contests. He was an alternate captain for Czechia at the Worlds last year, scoring 3-3–6 in 10 games en route to a gold medal. Being named to Czechia’s roster for the Winter Olympics next year would give him a shot at joining Jaromír Jágr and Jiří Šlégr as Czech members of the Triple Gold Club.

New Jersey Devils Activate Jacob Markström, Reassign Nico Daws

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The New Jersey Devils are now only one defenseman away from a healthy roster. New Jersey announced they’ve activated goaltender Jacob Markström from the injured reserve and reassigned Nico Daws to their AHL affiliate, the Utica Comets, in a corresponding roster move.

Markström has been on the injured reserve for over a month due to a knee sprain. Boston Bruins’ forward Justin Brazeau accidentally crashed into Markström following a shot attempt in the teams’ matchup against each other on January 22nd.

Despite missing 39 days, Markström only missed 11 of the Devils’ games, thanks to the two-week break for the 4 Nations Face-Off. Markström was originally supposed to play for Team Sweden during the international tournament but was precluded from doing so due to his sprained knee.

Regular backup netminder Jake Allen played well throughout that stretch, although the team did not. Allen managed a 3-5-0 record as the de facto starter with a .914 SV%. As mentioned, the team didn’t respond well to Markström’s absence, middling to a 6-5-0 record.

As respectably as Allen played, New Jersey had no internal options to replace Markström adequately. The Gavle, Sweden native has a 21-9-5 record in 36 starts this year with a .912 SV% and 2.20 GAA. He’ll look to maintain and even improve that production for the Devils throughout the final stretch of the 2024-25 campaign.

Meanwhile, Markström’s absence allowed Daws his first look in the NHL this season. He went undefeated in three starts with a .966 SV% and 0.88 GAA, far better than his production in Utica. He’ll return to a disappointing Comets’ roster where he’s managed a 6-15-2 record in 23 games with a .891 SV% and 3.37 GAA.

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