Calgary Flames goaltender Jacob Markstrom. James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports

Insider names Maple Leafs as trade candidate for top goaltender

By Michael Gallagher | Last updated Jun 13, 2024 7:28 PM ET

Calgary Flames goaltender Jacob Markstrom is expected to be one of the more sought-after players on the trade market this offseason.

And while there’s likely to be a strong market for Markstrom, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman believes the Toronto Maple Leafs could emerge as a dark-horse candidate to trade for the 34-year-old Swede.

“A couple of other teams I wonder about there too…Toronto,” Friedman said. “And I know deals with Toronto and Calgary are kind of complicated, but the GM in Toronto is the guy who signed Markstrom in Calgary. And just on paper, a Markstrom-[Joseph] Woll combination is a pretty good combination. I look at that, and I say, ‘I could see why a team like Toronto would be interested in that potentially.’”

"I don't know, but what I do know is that I love winning hockey games."

When asked where he expects to be next season, Jacob Markstrom couldn't say for certain. pic.twitter.com/zKnF8UVBt2
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) April 19, 2024

Goaltending is arguably Toronto’s biggest weakness.

During the postseason, the Leafs’ inconsistency in net was a contributing factor to their first-round playoff series loss to the Boston Bruins. The team won both games started by Joseph Woll (who missed significant time this season with multiple injuries) but went 1-4 in games with Ilya Samsonov between the pipes.

There was also a stark contrast between Woll’s numbers and Samsonov’s. The 25-year-old Woll had a 0.86 goals-against average and .964 save percentage, while the 27-year-old Samsonov allowed 3.01 goals per game with an .896 save percentage.

Adding a veteran of more than a decade like Markstrom would certainly help Toronto stabilize its goaltending issue. Although the optics of his 23-23-2 record last season isn’t great, Markstrom did post a 2.78 goals-against average and .905 save percentage in 2023.

If traded to a team like the Maple Leafs, Markstrom would likely serve in a 1A-1B role while splitting starts with Woll.

Michael Gallagher

Michael Gallagher is a longtime sports journalist based out of Nashville with a decade of experience covering college football, mixed martial arts and prep sports plus the NFL and NHL — specifically the Tennessee Titans and Nashville Predators. He’s covered several notable sporting events including an AFC Championship game, a Stanley Cup Final, an NHL All-Star Game and an NHL Stadium Series. Some of his past bylines can be found at the Nashville Scene, SB Nation, The Hockey News and Fox Sports Knoxville

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