Top NHL goalie could be heading back to the Florida Panthers where it all began
Photo credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images
Jacob Markstrom could be headed back to the Florida Panthers, the team that drafted him in 2008 before his career truly began.
Update: Kevin Weekes has also confirmed details of this trade.
The New Jersey Devils are shopping the 36-year-old goaltender this offseason, and Florida's vacant crease makes the fit obvious on paper.
But the real story isn't nostalgia. It's a closed loop.
"Jacob Markstrom is heading back to Florida where he started his NHL career."
- RumorBoyz
- RumorBoyz
Florida selected Markstrom 31st overall in 2008, then traded him to Vancouver in 2014 to acquire Roberto Luongo.
Luongo anchored the Panthers' crease for six seasons before retiring in 2019, opening the door for Sergei Bobrovsky to take over as Florida's franchise goalie.
Bobrovsky is now set to hit free agency on July 1, with Florida holding no goalies under contract beyond Daniil Tarasov.
If Markstrom returns, he wouldn't just be walking back into familiar territory. He'd be replacing the goalie who replaced the goalie Florida got for trading him away.
Why the timing actually works against sentiment
Markstrom's new two-year, six-million-dollar extension kicks in July 1 and includes a 20-team no-trade list.
Florida isn't pursuing him for a reunion story; it's pursuing him because the goaltending market is thin and Connor Hellebuyck remains out of reach financially.
What the Panthers actually solve by doing this
A Markstrom trade lets Florida avoid overpaying Bobrovsky in a weak free-agent goalie class while keeping its core, including Evan Rodrigues and Eetu Luostarinen, intact for next season.
The sentimental angle makes for a better headline than the cap-management reality driving it.
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Elliotte Friedman confirms critical trade news involving the Vancouver Canucks
Elliotte Friedman confirms critical trade news involving the Vancouver Canucks