Greg Wyshynski, ESPNJun 19, 2024, 02:00 PM ET
CloseGreg Wyshynski is ESPN’s senior NHL writer.
Below-average goaltending held the New Jersey Devils back in 2023-24. So it was clear that upgrading at the position was a top priority this offseason.
Their trade with the Calgary Flames for Jacob Markstrom has checked that box.
The Devils sent defenseman Kevin Bahl and a top-10-protected first-round draft pick in 2025 to the Flames in exchange for Markstrom, and the Flames will be retaining 31.5% of his salary for the two years remaining on his contract.
How did both GMs do in this swap? Here are our grades for the first blockbuster of the NHL summer.
The New Jersey Devils have built a roster that has championship potential, from a superstar in Jack Hughes to impact players like Nico Hischier, Jesper Bratt, Timo Meier and Dougie Hamilton to the next wave of young standouts like Luke Hughes and Simon Nemec.
But that construction was atop a foundation of wet tissue paper otherwise known as the team’s goaltending.
Over the last three seasons, the Devils were 30th in team save percentage. That’s where they were last season too, when porous goaltending subverted any momentum the team was able to build during a disappointing following up to their playoff breakthrough in 2023.
At the trade deadline, the Devils finally began to address the issue by acquiring Jake Allen from the Montreal Canadiens, who is signed through next season. But GM Tom Fitzgerald was candid about trading for another impact veteran goaltender to complete the tandem. Internally, the target was always Jacob Markstrom of the Calgary Flames. On Wednesday, they acquired the target.
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There was no solution available via free agency. There were only three significant goaltenders available via trade, assuming that Juuse Saros probably signs an extension with the Nashville Predators. There was Linus Ullmark of the Boston Bruins, the 2022-23 Vezina Trophy winner who has some trade protection. There…
Source link : https://www.espn.com/nhl/insider/story/_/id/40386935/nhl-trade-grade-2024-jacob-markstrom-devils-flames-draft-picks
Author : Greg Wyshynski
Publish date : 2024-06-19 19:00:36
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