Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup – April 21, 2024
The latest Flames speculation, including questions over Jacob Markstrom’s future in Calgary, plus updates on the Canadiens in the Sunday NHL Rumor Roundup.
MARKSTROM’S FUTURE AMONG FLAMES’ OFFSEASON CONCERNS
SPORTSNET: Eric Francis reports that Jacob Markstrom did nothing to quell the speculation about his future during his end-of-season interview with the Calgary media on Friday.
The 34-year-old goaltender said he doesn’t know where he’d be playing next season. He also commented about his exit interview with Flames general manager Craig Conroy.
“Season just ended, and I saw Connie, and leave it at that,” said Markstrom. Asked whether he was led to believe he would be moved to the New Jersey Devils before the trade deadline, he replied, “I don’t know, I just read what you guys are writing.”
The netminder added he wouldn’t share any details of conversations he had with management. He also said he didn’t believe his relationship with Conroy was strained.
Calgary Flames goaltender Jacob Markstrom (NHL Images).
Markstrom has two years remaining on his contract and a full no-movement clause. Despite his cordial comments and those of Conroy regarding the situation, Francis believes Markstrom will be playing elsewhere next season.
TSN: Salim Valji shared Francis’ opinion that Markstrom could be on the move this summer.
Valji mentioned that Markstrom was the subject of speculation leading up to the trade deadline, including the rumors linking him to the Devils. He also noted that the goalie voiced his unhappiness days before the trade deadline over how management handled that situation.
NEW JERSEY HOCKEY NOW: James Nichols took notice of Markstrom’s comments and the conjecture that linked the netminder to the Devils two months ago. He believes the Flames goalie will be at the top of general manager Tom Fitzgerald’s list of offseason trade targets.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: It’s rumored Flames ownership spiked the Markstrom trade to New Jersey because Calgary was still in the hunt for a playoff spot. There was also speculation that Conroy set a high asking price from the Devils including Dawson Mercer or Alexander Holtz, top prospect Seamus Casey and a first-round pick.
If Markstrom is traded the deal could go down before the free-agent market opens on July 1. That’s because teams will have more cap space at that time to absorb his $6 million annual salary cap hit through 2025-26.
Markstrom’s no-movement clause gives him complete control over where the Flames can send him. If the rumors are true that he was willing to accept a trade to New Jersey, it shouldn’t be an issue if Fitzgerald comes calling this summer. The sticking point then will be the asking price.
Trading Markstrom will leave the Flames with promising Dustin Wolf and backup Dan Vladar as their goalie tandem next season. Wolf is considered their next starter but he hasn’t played a full NHL season yet. He got in 15 games this season with inconsistent results but that’s to be expected for a young goalie getting his first taste of big-league action.
TSN: In other Flames news, Valji reported defenseman MacKenzie Weegar and center Nazem Kadri have no intention of leaving. Kadri noted the club has over $18 million in cap space this summer which he hopes management will put toward improving the roster.
CALGARY SUN: Daniel Austin reports there’s mutual interest in a contract extension between Flames management and Oliver Kylington. The 26-year-old defenseman is slated to become an unrestricted free agent this summer.
Kylington missed most of the last two seasons dealing with his mental health. He returned earlier this year and took on a greater role on their blueline as the season went on.
LATEST ON THE CANADIENS
THE MONTREAL GAZETTE: Pat Hickey anticipates Canadiens general manager Kent Hughes will draw on his deep pool of defensemen for trade bait to address his club’s need for scoring forwards.
Hickey noted Hughes traded defenseman Alexander Romanov to the New York Islanders at the 2022 NHL Draft to get Kirby Dach from the Chicago Blackhawks.
If Hughes makes a deal, Hickey believes it shouldn’t involve veterans Mike Matheson and David Savard. Both bring experience and leadership to the young Canadiens defense corps.
SPECTOR’S NOTE: Hickey acknowledged those on social media suggesting the Canadiens trade Matheson now while his value is high. However, he pointed out the 30-year-old Montreal native was among this season’s NHL leaders among defensemen in ice time and points, noting he still has several productive seasons left. Those years could be best spent with the Habs.
Savard was mentioned as a trade candidate leading up to the March deadline. He could find himself a player of interest in next season’s market. He has a year left on his contract with an affordable $3.5 million cap hit and lacks no-trade protection. Hughes could be open to offers at next year’s deadline if the Habs are out of contention by then.
Markstrom has a $2.5m signing bonus to be paid. Understanding it doesn’t affect the $6m cap hit; however, it’s still a nice sum of money to save.
If acquiring ownership would like to save the $2.5m and trading ownership would want it done before the signing bonus kicks in.
I don’t see Markstrom starting in Calgary net next season.
I’d say it was close to a sure thing Markstrom won’t be in Calgary next season. We don’t have the inside goods on why he is unhappy but you can bet no one wants a key player on the team who doesn’t want to be there.
Signing bonuses absolutely counts against the cap. A car as a bonus would count against the cap. It all counts but how you pay doesn’t.
If the Flames had a big offer and didn’t pull the trigger, they totally pooched it. When was the last time a goalie was traded for a huge haul? Feels like ages.
Re; 34 yr old Jacob Markstrom
He is on the downward slide of his playing days at 34 yrs old….❗️
The above trade peices coming back as Crazy for an OLD goaltender…..
➡️ Rumored Flames ownership spiked the Markstrom trade to New Jersey because Calgary was still in the hunt for a playoff spot. There was also speculation that Conroy set a high asking price from the Devils including,
WOW
-Dawson Mercer Or Alexander Holtz,
-Top prospect Seamus Casey
-A first-round pick. ( # 10 pick this year )
They should be looking at Preds & Bruins
28 yr old Saros
Or
30 yr old Ullmark…………⁉️
Leafs looked good last night.
said nobody.
It appears all the insiders and experts at TSN and LeafsNet forgot to include the Charmin Factor when making their predictions.
The more Charmin players you have the lower your chance of ultimate victory.
Refer to Leafs, Toronto : MeLander, Mr 60, The Snitch, mORRgan Reilly and Pajama Boy Tavares.
All soft, Charmin soft, hence very little chance of winning a series let alone a Cup.
Marner will play better once he gets a $13M contract!
I appreciate your stance on Tavares Habsman67, except to say no one had their arms wrenched to fork over $11 mil – he and his agent asked for that – ostensibly – but the GM didn’t have to agree.
So it’s not on Tavares – he asked – they agreed.
I have yet to see one professional athlete in any sport offer to return a portion of their contract because their production isn’t living up to what they receive. Some of those baseball contracts are simply idiotic.
I don’t understand why you continue to mock Tavares for wearing his favourite team’s logo as a small boy. It’s tiresome, infantile, and contributes nothing to this site. Is there any hockey fan who didn’t wear clothes with their favourite team’s logo as a small boy? Or as an adult?
By my count Tavares has scored more than 20 goals in a season 14 times, including more than 30 goals a season 6 times. Tavares goes about his business as a Leafs captain and is never caught up in negative controversy.
I wish the Habs had a player of such talent and character.
Agree with everything you said LJ with one caveat: Tavares isn’t worth $11 million in any uniform. No one would be saying anything negative about Tavares if he was being paid $6 million.
At the time that Tavares signed the contract he was certainly worth 11m. As he moves deeper into his 30s, his game is declining somewhat but he’s still a solid player.
The problem is that the Leafs needed to spend their cap space elsewhere
Howard. I agree. A team with Matthew’s, Marner, Nylander, Kadri, Hyman, did not need Tavares. He was worth $11 million but only to a team who needed a top 6 forward. His contract has handicapped the Leafs ever since it was signed. Can you imagine a Leaf team with Hyman and Kadri now minus Tavares?
He’s a turd and a snake. He told the Islanders management he would stay…nearly up to the day when he suddenly pivoted. A pivot he knew was happening all along. I have wished for him, and reveled in, his complete lack of success since leaving long island.
I hope he takes an enormous pay cut and plays out his years on the fourth line before being traded to Buffalo and finally retiring without a single NHL trophy or award.
They looked and played like your team.
Oh sorry.
I like Markström and thinks he has 3-4 good seasons left, he is a big goalie that depend less on reflexes etc. With that being said, the price tag mentioned is just stupid and there is no way Markström gets you that. I could see Mercer and a first for Ullmark, given that they get to talk contract before the trade, so that they know what the cost will be. If Calgary are lucky they get a first, top ten protected, and Holz
I think most Leaf fans view Tavares as a good hockey player.
The problem was Leafs didn’t need an $11 million dollar second line center.
They already had a more than adequate $4.5 million dollar second line center in Kadri.
That $6.5 million dollar difference in their two contracts would have been much better used to upgrade the Leafs defense.
Unfortunately, Dubas in his giddiness, was so overcome with emotion over his first big deal that he was unable to see the forest for the trees.
This was merely the first of a multitude of mistakes made by Dubas during his 5 year tenure as Leafs GM.
The problem is Tavares wasn’t brought in to be their #2 center no was he considered as one. Who do you think was the Leafs number 1 center?
Don’t tell me you are thinking the newly drafted Matthews were you? A rookie unknown take on top assignments and carry the Leafs from day one? That sounds smart and something all teams successfully do.
Life’s better when you release your blinding hate.
As a long time Isles fan, I will say this about Tavares.
You got you moneys worth out of JT. He’s been exactly the same player/person as he was on the Isles. Total professional. What did Toronto think that they were buying? To blame JT for Dubas’ mistakes is foolish.
Now, I do not care for Tavares, not because he left. That was his right. He earned that. He fulfilled his contract to the fullest. But asking ownership not to trade him and then walking away, will never be forgiven. I also realize that ownership bears 50% of this. They should had given him a deadline and stuck to it. Both were at fault in my book.