Calgary Flames goaltender Jacob Markstrom (25) — Mandatory Credit: Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports

Jacob Markstrom Trade Thins Red Wings' Options for a Goalie Upgrade

With Flames' star Jacob Markstrom traded to the New Jersey Devils, the Red Wings' options for an upgrade in net have slimmed

Author:
Connor Earegood
Publish date:
Jun 19, 2024 2:52 PM EDT

This summer's high-end goalie market just got way more intriguing.

As first reported by Travis Yost of THN, the New Jersey Devils traded Wednesday for Calgary Flames goaltender Jacob Markstrom, giving up a top-10 protected first round pick in 2025 and defenseman Kevin Bahl. The 34-year-old Markstrom has two years left on his contract at a $6 million cap hit, 31.25% of which Calgary retained in the trade.

The trade is the first offseason splash for a high-end goalie market that included Markstrom, Nashville Predators star Juuse Saros and Boston Bruins phenom Linus Ullmark on the trading block. For the Detroit Red Wings, these available netminders gave them an opportunity to upgrade a goalie room cast in uncertainty by Ville Husso's injury trouble and Alex Lyon's usage beyond his usual role. But with one of those stars off the market, Detroit's options just got slimmer.

Outside of changing who's up for grabs, the Markstrom trade also serves as a starting point for the cost of a star goaltender this offseason. It's likely that Nashville and Boston will leverage the price New Jersey paid for Markstrom to get more for Saros and Ullmark. Markstrom was the oldest goalie of the three and had the longest term contract. Considering the risk of age and cap hit, New Jersey could haggle down the prices to upgrade its weakest position. But those negotiating points don't exist for Saros and Ullmark.

If Detroit chooses to bring in a proven starter, it will have to pay up. The need for such an upgrade is apparent. Husso injured and reinjured his lower body last season, playing one game once the calendar flipped to 2024. In his place, Lyon rose to the occasion as he went from a third-string depth goalie to the team's impact starter. By the end of the season, though, Lyon showed the effects of unprecedented usage, exemplified in a 10-game personal losing streak in March that played a part in the Red Wings narrowly missing the playoffs. The Red Wings will probably get games out of both goaltenders next season, but whether either of them can be a bona fide starter isn't all that clear.

Any upgrades in net have always come down to the cost, which just rose with Wednesday's trade. The price for a goalie upgrade has to match the expected gain from such a move.

In his sixth season at the helm of the Red Wings, general manager Steve Yzerman is just now tying off the loose ends of the rebuild. And those loose ends are plentiful, especially this offseason. Detroit could lose its power play quarterback, Shayne Gostisbehere, to free agency, as well as nearly point-of-game winger Patrick Kane. And while young stars Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond have become more veteran presences due to experience, the Red Wings' roster is likely to get a whole lot younger — and unpredictable — with some incoming rookies in the mix.

So while New Jersey made an aggressive move to make its roster better, Detroit has to weigh its options. New Jersey had one really big hole to fill, whereas Detroit has a whole lot of smaller ones sprinkled across the roster. It might make sense for the Devils to sell futures in order to patch over their hole, but the Red Wings have to consider all of theirs before paying up for a solution for only one issue. This doesn't mean that Detroit won't seek upgrades in net. In any case, the Markstrom trade just set the going rate for goalies.

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