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Wednesday’s exchange did not come as a complete surprise to anyone following the news. Calgary Flames.
New Jersey always seemed like the most likely (and logical) destination for Jacob Markstrom.
Yet whenever you say goodbye to your No. 1 goalie, it’s always big news. As part of their deal with the Devils, the Flames acquired defenseman Kevin Bahl and a first-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, albeit with top-10 protection. Craig Conroy also agreed to retain 31.25 percent of Markstrom’s salary for the next two seasons.
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After Wednesday’s trade, Dan Vladar and Dustin Wolf are set to split duties at the Saddledome. Will it stay that way?
Postmedia reporters Danny Austin and Wes Gilbertson weigh in on this topic and more in this episode of Burning Questions…
Let’s start with Wednesday’s big debate… Did the Flames get enough in return for Markstrom?
GILBERTSON: It’s not a given, but I don’t think Flames fans should be disappointed. A first-round pick is a significant hurdle, even if they have to wait until 2025 or even 2026 to cash it in. Markstrom’s contract included a full no-movement clause and while he insisted it wasn’t a New Jersey or nothing choice, it felt like everyone knew where he was going to end up. That didn’t leave much leverage for Conroy, so it seems like a good deal. Bahl can immediately fill a role on the blue line, but the long-term trade odds will depend on who gets drafted with that first-round swing.
AUSTIN: When you ask yourself these kinds of questions, you have to look at the market. The reality for the Flames is that Markstrom wasn’t the only goalie available. The Los Angeles Kings traded Darcy Kuemper an hour or two after the Flames and Devils completed their trade, and guys like Juuse Saros and Linus Ullmark were also reportedly available. That means the market was buyer-friendly, and the Devils could have looked elsewhere if the price was too high for the Flames. When you add the haul Conroy got from the Devils to all the other young assets he’s acquired over the past year, they look well-positioned to build for the future. That’s the point.
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What now? Should the Flames look for a proven goaltender?
GILBERTSON: Conroy’s next pick will tell us a lot. If he’s under pressure to compete for a playoff spot in 2025, he’ll be looking for a replacement. But if I were in charge, I’d take this opportunity to audition Vladar and Wolf for the goaltending spot. A big part of the rebuild is ensuring you have a core piece between the pipes, and Markstrom’s departure allows the Flames to test their internal options. Calgary knows the search for a go-to goalie can drag on, but that doesn’t have to be the case this time around. The downside to going with the current pair is that you don’t have a veteran mentor, but goaltending coach Jason LaBarbera offers plenty of experience.
AUSTIN: This season will be a development season, and Wolf and Vladar play a big part in that. We know Wolf’s name is circled as the Flames’ goalie of the future, and we saw some progress in his NHL game toward the end of the season. Next year, it’ll be up to him to take the next step. I think Vladar will start the season the majority of the time, and this will be a great opportunity for him to prove he can be an everyday starter. He’s had stretches where he looked absolutely capable of earning that kind of role, but never with a sample size this large. Nothing is more important than Wolf’s development, so getting him games – and lots of them – has to be a major priority.
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Bahl hasn’t been talked about much… What are the legitimate expectations for the latest acquisition on the blue line?
GILBERTSON: There are only about 30 defensemen who haven’t missed a game in the 2023-24 campaign. Bahl was on that list. Whether or not the Flames ask for top-four minutes is a testament to his reliability. A lefty, Bahl becomes a potential partner for Rasmus Andersson, MacKenzie Weegar or Brayden Pachal. The new guy has only four career goals, so don’t expect to see him in the shootout rotation, but it’s realistic to expect him to be an every-night option for the Flames. If he can make a positive impact on the penalty kill, that’s a good start. If he can be a top-four player, that’s even better.
AUSTIN: When I spoke with Conroy on Wednesday, he compared Bahl to Nikita Zadorov and at 6-foot-6, it’s not hard to see the similarities between the Flames’ new acquisition and the Russian defenseman they traded to the Vancouver Canucks At the start of last season, Zadorov was mostly used as a third-pairing defenseman, and in the short term, that seems like a good fit for Bahl. He can play on the penalty kill and has made strides in how he uses his big body in the defensive zone. But Conroy also talked about how they expect him to continue to improve over the next two years. It might be best not to judge Bahl on what we see on Day 1.
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