BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - APRIL 30: David Pastrnak #88 of the Boston Bruins celebrates with Brandon Carlo #25 after scoring a goal against the Florida Panthers during the third period in Game Seven of the First Round of the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs at TD Garden on April 30, 2023 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
The trade market for goalies is officially set.
In the span of one afternoon, two trades were agreed upon on Wednesday, sending two goalies to opposite coasts.
First reported by Travis Yost of TSN, the New Jersey Devils acquired netminder Jacob Markstrom in a trade with the Calgary Flames in exchange for 23-year-old defenseman Kevin Bahl along with New Jersey’s first-round pick in next year’s draft, which is top-10 protected. Calgary is also retaining 31.25% of the salary remaining on Markstrom’s contract over the next two seasons.
A few hours after the Marsktrom deal was announced, Sportnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported the Los Angeles Kings and Washington Capitals agreed to a trade, sending goalie Darcy Kuemper to Los Angeles for center Pierre-Luc Dubois.
Now that two goalies are off the NHL trade market, all eyes will shift to the Boston Bruins, who are still shopping Linus Ullmark.
The Bruins have been trying to strike a deal involving Ullmark for months. But with the 2024 NHL Entry Draft in Las Vegas just a little more than two weeks away, time is running out for Bruins general manager Don Sweeney to move the former Vezina Trophy winner.
Currently, the Bruins own just three picks in the upcoming draft, none of which are in the first three rounds. With one year left on his current contract, trading away Ullmark before the draft is the best way for the Bruins to restock on picks that they desperately need.
The countdown to the draft, coupled with Markstrom being off the board, should only speed up conversations surrounding Ullmark. That said, it’ll be interesting to see what Boston gets back in a potential Ullmark trade now that the price for a goalie is established.
However, finding another team willing to pay the steep price the Bruins are asking will be much harder than before, with the Devils and Kings, two of the teams with perhaps the biggest need in goal this summer, no longer interested.
As for the teams still known to be looking for an upgrade in net, the Carolina Hurricanes and Ottawa Senators remain. Carolina is trying to find a new home for Martin Necas, and Ottawa has said it’s willing to give up its first-round pick in this year’s draft as well as defenseman Jakob Chychrun. Even still, Ullmark’s contract situation makes executing a trade difficult.
With just one year remaining on his current deal, Ullmark is set to become an unrestricted free agent next summer. It’s doubtful that any potential buyer will be willing to give up high-priced assets without a guarantee that Ullmark is willing to stick with them beyond this upcoming season.
But before that can even be discussed, there’s the matter of whether or not Ullmark will agree to be traded in the first place, as he has a 15-team no-movement clause attached to his contract.
Undoubtedly, the inevitable trade of Ullmark was always going to be difficult for the Bruins. But now, it just got even more so in only a few short hours.
