Markstrom trade may be inevitable after comments expose distaste for Calgary Flames handling of situation

Jacob Markstrom's nugget of negativity is what the Flames have been trying to avoid during their youth movement ahead of NHL trade deadline

The Calgary Flames are honouring the best goaltender ever to wear the Flaming C on Saturday as they raise Miikka Kiprusoff’s No. 34 to the rafters. Meanwhile, it looks like the best goaltender they currently roster is feeling disrespected.

Without full context, reading between the lines of Markstrom’s brief comments ahead of the Kiprusoff ceremony poses a bit of a problem. They were pointed. But who was he pointing fingers at?

“Everyone in here, I really respect everything that has been going on, and not going on, and how everyone in this room has handled everything,” Markstrom said, perhaps talking exclusively about his teammates in the locker-room. .

“And then the whole situation and everything, am I happy about that? No, I’m not.

“I think it could have been handled a lot different from up top.”

The top could mean Calgary Flames GM Craig Conroy.

Conroy had orchestrated a potential deal with the New Jersey Devils that came close enough to fruition to become a hot topic among most NHL insiders. Only a handful of people know the truth, but some reports suggest the sticking point was the Flames organization’s refusal to retain any salary.

So maybe the top is the very top. Flames majority owner Murray Edwards, whose appetite to stay competitive at all costs, has been a real hinderance to meaningful change when it comes to the Calgary roster. The only reason for the exodus of pending unrestricted free agents this season is the inability to re-sign the likes of Elias Lindholm, Chris Tanev and Noah Hanifin — who is expected to be dealt in the next handful of days before the NHL trade deadline.

Maybe Markstrom is referring to both, or their lack of coordination if things went as far as the Flames franchise asking the goaltender to waive his no-move clause only to have the deal collapse anyway. That’s usually the final step in a trade that involves a player-controlled clause.

Now nobody knows if Markstrom even wants to be in Calgary — now, and for the next two years of his $6-million AAV contract.

And if the Flames have been resisting the temptation to trade Markstrom because of their desire to try and foster a positive, winning environment while rebuilding, positive might have left the building.

The likelihood that there are few (maybe just one) teams in a position to purchase Markstrom’s services this season means the return value would be better in the summer when playoff and non-playoff teams are looking to improve at the position. But if the relationship dissolves because of this mess, the Flames may have no choice.

The environment remaining positive is immeasurably important as the team embarks on its youth movement.