Confirmed with Link: Flames sign Jacob Markstrom (6 years, $6,000,000 AAV)

[Ace Rimmer]

What does this mean for a potential buyout in year 5 or 6? I’m assuming bad news

By my lousy math, about $2 million higher than it needs to be. (oops, total, not yearly, more like $1 million higher in each of the first two years)

If the contract was structured $8-$8-$6-$6-$4-$4 it might have been better. But agree with above, it's not Lucic-bad.

 

[Sparky93]

$8.75 million tied up in goaltending is not really the direction I was hoping we were headed in.

 

[FlamerForLife]

$8.75 million tied up in goaltending is not really the direction I was hoping we were headed in.

It's literally for 1 year, Rittich will most likely be gone at the end of next season and I'm sure we'll sign a cheap backup or promote from within the organization.

 

[geebster]

Occasionally starts the game by letting in a weak goal but man Marky is a fighter. Like he steals games REGULARLY. Canucks had a nasty habit of leaving him out to dry but he stood tall nonetheless. Blues series had a lot of sequences where Marky saved them. Glad he got paid, wish him well.

 

[Sparky93]

It's literally for 1 year, Rittich will most likely be gone at the end of next season and I'm sure we'll sign a cheap backup or promote from within the organization.

Markstrom's no better than what our tandems have been, the last few years. I hope I'm wrong, but I think this may be one of Tre's worst signings.

 

[Mobiandi]

Good chance that we might see a mid-season Rittich trade and promotion of Zagidulin

 

[rocketchu]

One thing that is being overlooked is how competitive Markstrom is. I know people don't typically think of goalies as "leaders" but Markstrom definitely played that role here. Is always hard to judge teams from a distance but my sense of the current Flames team is that it lacks fire (no pun intended). Markstrom will definitely help in that regard in addition to being a very good goalie.

 

[InfinityIggy]

It's literally for 1 year, Rittich will most likely be gone at the end of next season and I'm sure we'll sign a cheap backup or promote from within the organization.

Yep, might not even be that long. Depending how many teams feel they've missed out on goaltending options, Rittich might actually hold some value for a trade.

 

[Tkachuk Norris]

Markstrom's no better than what our tandems have been, the last few years. I hope I'm wrong, but I think this may be one of Tre's worst signings.

he had one of the highest expected goals in the league the past two years and put up a .918 save percentage. That’s high quality goaltending. It’s like Rittich when he’s playing well but for 2 seasons straight.

we’ve missed the playoffs 2/6 seasons with Gaudreau. I believe we are second last in team save percentage In those six years. In the last two years we missed the playoffs our starting goaltending was abysmal (below .900).

Goaltending is voodoo so it’s definitely a risk. But I think I’ve been the person (there are others) who consistently criticize Treliving the day he signs Free Agents. But this (and Frolik) have been the exception for me. Goalies are usually fine into their mid 30s.

 

[Hockey Rush]

Calgary added a really good goaltender here. I have been a big advocate of Jacob since he came over to Vancouver in the Luongo deal. His game has really improved over the last 2 and a half years. the 6 x 6 contract is a bit scary on the backend but he will be worth every penny for the first few years if he has a good goalie coach by his side. The return of Ian Clark to Vancouver really transformed Markys game. He is an all in to win goalie. He doesn't care about save percentage of GAA's. Marky is all about getting the W which is important for goalie. He is ultra-competitive and the ultimate teammate. I am really happy he is going to a club that can utilize his talents. My two concerns are his effectiveness with a new goalie coach (ian clark has really evolved his game) and the term of the deal.

If Calgary has a suspect goalie coach I would recommend finding a quality replacement asap. We had Rollie Melanson here previously but honestly, Ian Clark has taken his game to a new level. This is the same goalie coach that helped Sergei Bobrovsky win a Vezina. We all saw how he fell off the cliff without him. I hope that doesn't happen to Marky he deserves only the best. Biggest thing tho Calgary fans - is having a goalie coach that can help reinforce the techniques he learned from Ian Clark. If another goalie coach trys to change his game you may be trouble. Happy for you flames fans - you guys deserve a number #1 tender.

I am a little nervous of having Demko be the future after only 37 NHL games lol but I guess we got Holtby to try and help us figure it out. Fingers crossed for Vancouver lol. Wish u guys well tho! I think he could be a real difference-maker for you guys!

 

[Aqualung]

I promise you all he’s a very good goalie (don’t just look at sv%, before this year Canucks were bottom feeders and even this past year lucked into the playoffs with the tournament format; the advanced stats tell the better story). This is based on having lived through Luongo and Schneider in their prime. He’s definitely better than Demko, but with Demko showing promise and the Canucks not wanting to lose him, giving Markstrom a long term contract with a NMC was less palatable. This is a fair contract, not necessarily a steal and may stink in the last year or two, but immediately you will have solid consistency. I really hate losing him, but at that cost he probably doesn’t fit the Canucks plans.

 

[JPeeper]

I am hoping we trade Rittich and sign a cheaper back-up to open up more capspace for Hall.

 

[Johnny Hoxville]

Love this, so happy and I love that we got another Swede!

 

[Bankerguy]

Canucks fan here, Enjoy Marky , he's a legit stud and top 10 in the league...and PLEASE ignore oiler fans when they say Koskinen is as good as Markstrom -.-

 

[elitepete]

Canucks fan here.

Markstrom is the best goalie on the planet.

Didn’t make sense for the Canucks to give him that much term or an NMC since we have Demko, but for the Flames it is worth it.

Great leader and person off the ice too.

 

[elitepete]

Canucks fan here, Enjoy Marky , he's a legit stud and top 10 in the league...and PLEASE ignore oiler fans when they say Koskinen is as good as Markstrom -.-

Top 10 goalie doesn’t do him enough justice. There is no argument to be made that he is outside the top 3.

 

[Iggys Dome]

Calgary added a really good goaltender here. I have been a big advocate of Jacob since he came over to Vancouver in the Luongo deal. His game has really improved over the last 2 and a half years. the 6 x 6 contract is a bit scary on the backend but he will be worth every penny for the first few years if he has a good goalie coach by his side. The return of Ian Clark to Vancouver really transformed Markys game. He is an all in to win goalie. He doesn't care about save percentage of GAA's. Marky is all about getting the W which is important for goalie. He is ultra-competitive and the ultimate teammate. I am really happy he is going to a club that can utilize his talents. My two concerns are his effectiveness with a new goalie coach (ian clark has really evolved his game) and the term of the deal.

If Calgary has a suspect goalie coach I would recommend finding a quality replacement asap. We had Rollie Melanson here previously but honestly, Ian Clark has taken his game to a new level. This is the same goalie coach that helped Sergei Bobrovsky win a Vezina. We all saw how he fell off the cliff without him. I hope that doesn't happen to Marky he deserves only the best. Biggest thing tho Calgary fans - is having a goalie coach that can help reinforce the techniques he learned from Ian Clark. If another goalie coach trys to change his game you may be trouble. Happy for you flames fans - you guys deserve a number #1 tender.

I am a little nervous of having Demko be the future after only 37 NHL games lol but I guess we got Holtby to try and help us figure it out. Fingers crossed for Vancouver lol. Wish u guys well tho! I think he could be a real difference-maker for you guys!

Jordan Sigalet doesn't have the best reputation amongst the Flames fanbase, a bunch of goalies have played their last NHL games in Calgary since 2013. Whether that's because they weren't NHL quality in the first place or he actually ruined them is something I don't know, but our track record isn't great in developing goalies the past few years (apart from Rittich). Here's hoping he doesn't ruin Markstrom.

 

[Iggys Dome]

Overall I'm pretty meh about this signing, 6x6 is a bit much but it doesn't break the bank or anything. As long as he can be #1 quality for 4 out of the 6 years it's a good deal IMO. Can't really blame Tre for going after the big fish considering we've been dumpster diving by goalie standards since 2013.

 

[Sparky93]

he had one of the highest expected goals in the league the past two years and put up a .918 save percentage. That’s high quality goaltending. It’s like Rittich when he’s playing well but for 2 seasons straight.

we’ve missed the playoffs 2/6 seasons with Gaudreau. I believe we are second last in team save percentage In those six years. In the last two years we missed the playoffs our starting goaltending was abysmal (below .900).

Goaltending is voodoo so it’s definitely a risk. But I think I’ve been the person (there are others) who consistently criticize Treliving the day he signs Free Agents. But this (and Frolik) have been the exception for me. Goalies are usually fine into their mid 30s.

In 2018 Smith had a .916, before going down late in the season....injuries happen. In 2016 Hiller sucked, after coming off a great season in 2015 but goaltending definitely wasn't the main reason we failed to make the playoffs. We just shelled out 6x6 for a guy that was replaced and out preformed by a rookie, in the latest edition of the playoffs and I'm not a fan of the signing what so ever.

 

[Anglesmith]

I'm not sure what you mean. Tampa's about to undergo a major facelift. Pittsburgh looks completely different every year. LA's been there. Chicago is currently deciding if they should continue retooling or do a firesale. Columbus is in a weird no man's land. Not to mention Minnesota, Florida, Montreal.

St. Louis was also inches away from blowing it up

Tampa has been to the finals twice with this core now, and between then and now they've had to cut guys out of their core. They haven't been able to hold on to guys like Stralman, Bishop and J.T. Miller. Stralman and Bishop in particular were huge parts of the team in 2015. Other complementary pieces they had to sacrifice, too. The fact that they weren't able to keep the team together fully did not mean they had to rebuild. They went on to win a Cup.

Pittsburgh went for a big run in 2013, the year they acquired Iggy and other veterans. It was an all-in year, and their inability to win that year made it seem like they were heading in a rough direction. Much of that team was unable to be kept together. It did not necessitate a rebuild, and they went on to win two more Cups.

Washington were a dominant team, and the year before they won the Cup was the year they needed to really make sacrifices and cut guys off from their core. It did not necessitate a rebuild. They then won the Cup.

Boston reached a point post-2011 when they weren't able to keep their core together. They had to get rid of guys. It did not necessitate a rebuild, and they ended up being a Cup contender before too long.

St. Louis last did a rebuild over a decade ago. Since then, they haven't been able to keep a consistent core together. This did not necessitate a rebuild. They went on to win a Cup.

Chicago and LA both did very well within their windows, but made some bad decisions and handed out contracts to reward past performance instead of paying for the future. That said, Chicago may recover from this provided they keep feeding talented young players into the NHL.

I think that based on the evidence, suggesting that the Flames, with most of their core in their mid-20s, is 2-3 years away from playing meaningless, rebuilding hockey, is laughable. The statement that they may have to lose some guys from the core in a few years is perfectly valid. The statement that they are headed for a rebuild is absurd.

 

[Anglesmith]

I'm stoked about this signing, by the way. Markstrom was my favourite option out of those reportedly available.

 

[crackdown44]

I'm stoked about this signing, by the way. Markstrom was my favourite option out of those reportedly available.

Oh you love Markstrom??? Name three of his albums then

 

[Rubi]

I like this. Fair contract. I'm glad Treliving finally closed the deal on a Class A free agent.
Now to shore up the right hand side of our defense.

 

[GreatSaveLuongo]

He will single handedly win games for you when outshot 15-40 and being no?business in games despite what numbers tell u. Gonna miss him as Canucks fan and only reason couldn't keep him is because of no cap room.

 

[GumbyCan2]

I'll always remember when we had a chance to draft Demko in 2014 but instead we chose Mason f***ing McDonald

Karma is that we take their (VCR's former) goalie out of their hands so they can finally play Demko ( whom they never should have had in the 1st place). Oh yah, now Demko backs up for Holtby! Yucka, yucka!
Big signing in my books. Excited for some possible growth forward now. Just need to build up our defense again, split up Johnny & Money to find new top lines, as in 2 top lines, give Mangie some more$$'s and pump up some of our younger new core players to bigger roles. Go Flames, Go!
Sorry Mr. BIG SAVE DAVE. Back to the back "up".