It is no secret the Los Angeles Kings were in the hunt for goaltending at this season’s trade deadline. On deadline day, it was reported they struck a deal with the Boston Bruins to acquire goaltender Linus Ullmark before he shut it down by his no-trade clause. Recently, Nick Kypreos reported on Kyper’s Korner that a deal was in place to send Jacob Markstrom from the Calgary Flames to the Kings, but he shut it down with his no-trade clause too.
What Happened?
Kypreos believes that Markstrom’s no-movement clause struck down the deal because he did not want to live on the West Coast. This aligns with the reports of the New Jersey Devils being heavily involved in trade talks to acquire Markstrom since Calgary and New Jersey have similar climates. However, the Flames are below the Kings in the standings, so it would have made sense to move to Los Angeles to help a team pursue a Stanley Cup.
This is all speculation, with no concrete evidence from either side to show there was a deal in place, but instead just a report from an insider. But considering Markstrom showed displeasure in how trade talks were handled, it is increasingly likely these two teams made serious attempts in trade talks at the least.
Markstrom would have been a great addition to the Kings who have had struggles in net this season. He has a 22-17-2 record on the season for the Flames, a team that sold off much of its core at the deadline as well in recent seasons, signifying a long-term vision. As well, he boasts a .910 save percentage with 16.1 goals saved above expected, fourth best in the NHL according to Moneypuck.
A trade proposal likely would have put the Kings in a tight position in terms of cap space, but it would have been possible. One of Cam Talbot or David Rittich would have been shipped out, either to the Flames or a third team, as well as a first or second-round selection and a young roster player. It is also possible to have seen retention on Markstrom’s $6 million salary that goes through the 2025-26 season, although it is more likely to have been without any, likely requiring the Kings to ice a 20-player roster for the remainder of the regular season.
In addition to this season, Markstrom would have been great to have for the next few seasons, too. Prospect Erik Portillo is having a strong rookie season with the Ontario Reign of the American Hockey League and is likely to join the NHL in 2025. Missing out on Markstrom is not the end of the world as goaltenders are historically inconsistent, and it is possible for Markstrom to have gone to Los Angeles and played some poor hockey.
The real question now is, if this is all true, what have the Kings done to go from a hockey sanctuary to a place nobody wants to play? With Ullmark all but confirmed to have shut down a trade to the Kings and rumors of Markstrom doing the same, it may be time for them to shift gears in their attempts to solidify their goaltending tandem.
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