One of the best free-agent goaltenders is off the market as Jacob Markstrom has signed a new deal with the Calgary Flames, per Sportnet’s Irfaan Gaffar. The deal is for six-years at six million a year. 36 million for the total contract.
Believe a deal between Markstrom and the Flames is close to being finalized.
— Irfaan Gaffar (@irfgaffar) October 9, 2020
Jacob Markstrom Signs New Deal
The 30-year-old Markstrom has quickly grown into one of the league’s premier goaltenders, finishing fourth in Vezina Trophy voting for the 2019-20 season. Last season with the Vancouver Canucks, Markstrom posted a 23-16-4 record with a .918 save percentage and 2.75 goals-against average. Over his ten-year career in the league with both the Canucks and Florida Panthers , Markstrom’s compiled a career 110-118-32 record combined with a .911 save percentage and 2.80 goals-against average.
Markstrom’s first taste of playoff action this year went extremely well. Despite an 8-6 record, Markstrom put up a solid .919 save percentage to go with a 2.85 goals-against average, similar to his regular-season performance.
What This Means for the Future
Markstrom’s new team is gaining one of the most solid goalies in the NHL and one of the few true starters on the market. Markstrom can be counted on for upwards of 55 starts in a season and is dependable even then. He solidifies this team’s goaltending as some of the best in the league, and he’s capable of taking his team on a long playoff run now or in the future.
His new team is likely getting at least three or four solid years of elite-calibre goaltending out of Markstrom before he starts to decline with age. It’s up to them to maximize their success while Markstrom is in his prime, giving them the best chance to win a championship. Markstrom will surely be another top-ten goalie talent in the league next year, ready to support his new team as they strive to improve from last year’s result.
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