This discussion has been going back for several months as it appeared that Markstrom was heading to the devils in a trade either prior or during the trade deadline. It was reported afterwards that Markstrom was asked to waive his no trade clause which he accepted but in turn flames ownership nixed the trade.
That left Markstrom in a foul mood which was in full display after the trade deadline was over. But months have passed, and the Devils have a new head coach in former Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe and a desperate need for a goaltender.
The 34-year-old netminder played 48 games last year and had a 500 record of 23-23-2 with the goals against of 2.78 and a save percentage of .905 with two shutouts. These numbers do not reflect on his true style of goaltending as the flames have been in flux and being dismantled one player at a time for the past two seasons.
He also holds some cost certainty as he has two years remaining on his $36 million deal holding a cap hit of $6 million per season. The devils are a very young team and have plenty to offer the flames as they continue to recoup draft picks and prospects for their veterans. Adding a player like Markstrom to the lineup would certainly help propel the devils into the playoffs as the team has plenty of firepower to get there.
