Jacob Markström shows why Devils acquired him — and what he means to them in the future
New Jersey Devils president of hockey operations Tom Fitzgerald spent last summer trying to mold his team from a group with talent into a legitimate Stanley Cup contender. His biggest bet in the on-ice overhaul — which included the additions of Brett Pesce, Brenden Dillon and Stefan Noesen — was on Jacob Markström.
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The goaltender showed why in Game 5. He made 33 saves in the third period and in the two overtime frames, robbing Jackson Blake, Eric Robinson and Jordan Martinook on dangerous chances in the first extra period. Martinook looked to the sky in frustration after the goalie gloved his wrist shot from the slot.
When Markström is at his best, he's among the best goalies in the world. He showed that with the Vancouver Canucks and Calgary Flames, finishing in the top five in Vezina voting while with each team. That level of performance wasn't enough for the undermanned Devils, down Jack Hughes and three defensemen, to upset the Carolina Hurricanes. After a Carolina push that lasted more than 40 minutes of game time, Sebastian Aho ripped a power-play goal past him early in the second overtime, ending the Devils' season with a 5-4 loss.
Markström, who can wear his emotions on his sleeve, slammed his stick on the post, breaking it in half.
'It's frustrating right now that it ended like this,' the goalie told reporters in Raleigh, N.C., after the game.
Now that the New Jersey season is over, Markström has one year left on his contract. He's 35 years old, which adds a wrinkle to the Devils' contention window. When healthy — which they weren't this year — the Devils have high-end forward talent in Jack Hughes, Jesper Bratt and captain Nico Hischier, as well as Luke Hughes, Dougie Hamilton and Pesce on the back end. Markström's age could put a limit on how long he's part of that core, and it could perhaps add urgency to Fitzgerald's approach to the coming season.
The Devils gave up a 2025 first-round pick and Kevin Bahl to acquire Markström from Calgary. He had an injury-interrupted first season with the Devils, but in the games that mattered most, he proved himself as worth the price. He posted a .910 save percentage in the playoffs and stopped 6.23 goals more than expected, according to Natural Stat Trick.
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'He's the best,' Pesce said earlier in the series. 'He's our horse. Love that guy to death. I love going to battle with him. You know he's going to come up big.'
He did in the regular season, at least before suffering an MCL sprain Jan. 22. Before the injury, he had a 21-9-5 record with a .912 save percentage. He saved 12.67 goals more than expected, according to Evolving-Hockey. He struggled his final 13 regular-season games after coming back from injury March 2, dipping his season save percentage to .900 in 49 games.
Marky's out here making the incredible look easy. pic.twitter.com/qyglWhzV7c
— x – New Jersey Devils (@NJDevils) April 30, 2025
Markström had a save percentage above .900 in four of the Devils' five games against Carolina. His best stretch of play came toward the end of Game 5, all after he gave up goals on three consecutive shots early in the second period, then another to Aho on a five-on-three power play later in the frame. He made 15 saves in the third period, including a flurry of stops on Logan Stankoven. He continued to rob Hurricanes players in the first overtime period. Blake couldn't beat him on a three-on-one rush. He gloved a one-handed Robinson redirect. Martinook looked to the sky in disbelief when Markström robbed him from the slot.
'Man, we were under siege, and he was outstanding,' Devils coach Sheldon Keefe said in his postgame news conference.
Each save kept the Devils' season alive a little longer.
'He gave us a chance to keep fighting,' Keefe said.
The skater group — battered on the back end and lacking necessary forward depth — just did not have enough.
Trade rumors connecting Markström to the Devils started in the 2023-24 season. Calgary traded Tyler Toffoli going into the year, then moved Elias Lindholm, Noah Hanifin and Nikita Zadorov during the season. Markström, who has a no-movement clause, did not end up getting traded in season. The Devils piqued his interest, though. His agent, Patrick Morris, told The Athletic over the summer that the goalie 'was fixated on New Jersey all last year.'
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Markström got his wish when Fitzgerald acquired him in June. The Devils were counting on him to bring stability after none of Vitek Vaněček, Akira Schmid or Nico Daws emerged as a consistent enough starter in a disappointing 2023-24 season in which the team missed the playoffs. After the way Markström played against the Hurricanes, Fitzgerald can feel good about that decision.
Speaking to the media in Raleigh, Hischier said he felt bad for Markström because of how hard he battled in Game 5.
'I know how much he wants to win,' he said.
Next year will offer another chance. And given Markström's age, it's an important one — for him and the Devils.
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Dobson's offense slipped to 39 points in 71 games, and his defensive play was shakier than his sterling numbers would indicate. With that said, he still provided surplus value as an effective top-pair contributor for only a $4 million cap hit. Alexander Romanov has become a rock-solid top-four presence for the Islanders. He can defend, hit and move the puck effectively. Best contract in 2024-25: Adam Fox Nearly everything went wrong for the Rangers this season. Outside of Will Cuylle's ELC production, New York didn't have a single player who truly outperformed his contract by a significant margin. Yes, Adam Fox was again by far the team's best defenseman, but he wasn't quite as elite this season as his analytics would suggest. He lived up to his $9.5 million cap hit, but you'd have to squint and stretch to say he provided a ton of value beyond that. 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Bobby McMann's 20 goals were a nice bonus for the Leafs at $1.35 million, although his scoring completely dried up in the playoffs. Pontus Holmberg and Steven Lorentz were useful, defensively oriented depth contributors at dirt-cheap prices. Best contract in 2024-25: Michael Kesselring Utah's right-side defense was hammered in the first half by injuries to Sean Durzi and John Marino. That forced sophomore defenseman Michael Kesselring into an elevated top-four role. Kesselring excelled, with the Mammoth controlling 54 percent of scoring chances and 56 percent of goals during his five-on-five shifts this season. He struggled at times in the second half defensively, but he displayed clear top-four potential for most of the year, which is highly valuable at a $1.4 million cap hit. Barrett Hayton scored a career-high 20 goals and 46 points, in addition to boasting very good defensive metrics, at a bargain $2.65 million AAV. Clayton Keller exploded for 90 points but isn't paid like a bona fide superstar. Advertisement Best contract in 2024-25: Quinn Hughes Quinn Hughes was a one-man show, carrying a weak supporting cast all season. Hughes led the Canucks in scoring by a whopping 26 points as a defenseman, despite missing 14 games because of injuries. Hughes is a bona fide superstar making less than $8 million against the cap for two more seasons. Pius Suter scored 25 goals and 46 points as a key middle-six center. He also defended at an above-average level and was a first-unit fixture on Vancouver's elite penalty kill. He provided that all-around value for just a $1.6 million AAV — he may triple that cap hit in free agency this summer. Kiefer Sherwood broke out with 19 goals and 40 points. Nearly all of that production was at even strength, with Sherwood leading all Vancouver forwards in five-on-five points. He was also a wrecking ball on the forecheck, breaking the NHL's record for most hits in a single season. He was worth more than double the $1.5 million cap hit he carried this season. In the final year of his $1.1 million contract, Nils Höglander still managed to deliver surplus value despite an up-and-down campaign. Höglander had a nightmare first half but was one of Vancouver's best wingers from January onward, especially from a play-driving perspective. Tyler Myers has his flaws, but he was mostly solid again in a second-pair role, outperforming the modest $3 million cap hit he's on. Best contract in 2024-25: Brayden McNabb Brayden McNabb was one of the league's best shutdown defensemen in the regular season at only a $2.85 million cap hit. McNabb impressively suppressed opponents' ability to generate shots and scoring chances despite playing difficult matchup minutes, with the Golden Knights surrendering just 1.79 goals against per 60 during his five-on-five shifts. Advertisement Victor Olofsson injected crucial secondary scoring (15 goals in 56 games) at a dirt-cheap $1.075 million rate. Shea Theodore is a star — he scored a career-high 57 points in 67 games in the final year of a sweetheart contract that cost $5.2 million against the cap. Ivan Barbashev is streaky and didn't produce enough in the playoffs, but he scored a 27-goal, 60-point pace in the regular season. He was a mostly effective top-line winger for Jack Eichel, making a reasonable $5 million. Brett Howden broke out with 23 goals for $1.9 million. Best contract in 2024-25: Aliaksei Protas Aliaksei Protas and Connor McMichael's breakouts helped revitalize the Capitals' top-six forward group. Protas went from not even cracking 10 goals in 2023-24 to scoring 30 in 76 games this season. He also significantly boosted the Caps' ability to control two-way play. With another four years left at a $3.375 million cap hit, Protas is on one of the best contracts in the NHL. McMichael, meanwhile, was a game-breaking offensive driver with his speed and skill. He piled up 26 goals and 57 points despite not even playing on the Caps' top power-play unit, at a steal of a $2.1 million AAV. Tom Wilson turned back the clock, scoring 33 goals and 65 points while also driving strong defensive results in a tough matchups role. Nic Dowd is one of the most underrated bottom-six centers in the NHL. He's elite defensively and on the penalty kill and chipped in with 14 goals. Jakob Chychrun also narrowly missed the cut for this list. He was a home-run acquisition, scoring 20 goals from the blue line at a bargain $4.6 million cap hit. Best contract in 2024-25: Dylan Samberg The Jets had a near-endless supply of surplus value contracts. Dylan Samberg led the way; he broke out as a top-four star on Winnipeg's blue line. He drove elite defensive results, crushed it on the penalty kill and displayed enough puck-moving and secondary offensive skill to profile like a legitimate No. 2 defenseman on a contending team. Samberg accomplished all of that for just $1.4 million against the cap. Advertisement Josh Morrissey finished fourth in Norris Trophy voting. He still has three years left at a bargain $6.25 million AAV. Up front, Kyle Connor, Gabriel Vilardi and Nikolaj Ehlers represented a trio of terrific contracts in Winnipeg's top six. Connor, in particular, stood out by scoring 97 points at a hair over $7.1 million. (Top photo of Aliaksei Protas and Jordan Martinook: Patrick Smith / Getty Images)
New York Times
3 hours ago
- New York Times
Brad Marchand's legend keeps growing with exceptional playoff run for Panthers
EDMONTON — Brad Marchand is the king of taking a small window of opportunity and turning it into something much grander, but this may be his finest work yet. Sitting one win shy of a second career Stanley Cup following a trade he never wanted to happen? Matching Mario Lemieux's feats in a final series against the Edmonton Oilers while lining up as the Florida Panthers' third-line left-winger? Transforming a frustrating, injury-plagued campaign into the kind of run that could go a long way to eventually opening the doors to the Hockey Hall of Fame? Advertisement Marchand's legend grows with each passing game. And he's done it by being unapologetically himself, pushing the Panthers to the edge of their second straight Stanley Cup celebration with two massive goals in Saturday's 5-2 win that probably couldn't have been scored by anyone else on the ice. 'They were both unbelievable, but that second one, I don't know how he did that,' said teammate Sam Bennett, the NHL's playoff leader with 15 goals of his own. 'I'm going to have to watch that clip a couple of times and ask him to teach me something.' Bradley Marchand is a Florida Panther 🐀🐀🐀 — Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) June 15, 2025 There's a lesson in all of this for everyone: Marchand is a man who stands where his skates are. He doesn't overthink situations or get lost in 'what-ifs.' He's been the perfect fit for a Panthers team that prides itself on taking care of each day, something they did with an exclamation mark in regaining a 3-2 series lead over the Oilers less than 48 hours after blowing a three-goal lead on home ice. It may not have happened without Marchand, who both opened the scoring and went one-on-two to bag the eventual winner. Two moments created seemingly out of nowhere. A pretty good night's work for a guy who didn't quite see 14 minutes of ice time. 'It's those big moments when you need guys to step up,' said Sam Reinhart, seated alongside Marchand at the postgame podium. 'Time and time again, he's there to produce.' At that point, Marchand subtly cut him off by whispering: 'That's good.' However, when asked directly by a reporter what he would have thought years ago had he been told he'd join Lemieux as the only players with at least five goals in multiple Cup Finals since the end of the NHL's Original Six era, Marchand couldn't resist letting his personality show. Advertisement 'Man, that guy's good looking,' he said. 'That'd probably be it.' Nervous? Do you think this guy is nervous? 'It's gonna play out the way it's gonna play out,' said Marchand. 'I've said it a ton of times, we're just enjoying the moment. It's a special time, special memories we're gonna have forever.' Memories that have replaced any of the hurt he felt when Boston elected to deal him away at the March 7 trade deadline, rather than signing him to a deal that would allow him to retire a lifelong Bruin. It's been a career-reviving stretch that has all but wiped away any thought of his least-productive season in a decade, one seemingly slowed by three surgeries last summer and in-season injury. No, the 37-year-old is solely in the here and now. Sitting here with a chance to get his hands back on the Stanley Cup as soon as Tuesday night. Marchand has long been the master of taking the smallest window and turning it into something bigger, darting between or around opponents into the small pockets of available space. Just look at his first goal and the way he anticipated getting to that loose puck after a faceoff, turning to the inside to catch the great Mattias Ekholm off guard and scoring that beauty. BLIZZARD SZN!!! — x – Florida Panthers (@FlaPanthers) June 15, 2025 This wasn't some kind of set play off a faceoff. 'I mean, we have some plays, but that was all Marshy's play,' linemate Anton Lundell said. 'He took the puck and did a really highlight goal. Those are the goals you look at YouTube as a kid, and try and go out and practice yourself. We're all pretty amazed by him.' And then there was the second goal in which Marchand flashed the speed of a 27-year-old, not a 37-year-old, outhustled the Oilers up the ice after recognizing that Eetu Luostarinen would be able to poke the puck into the neutral zone, dipsy-doodled Jake Walman just inside the blue line before finishing the gorgeous goal. Power move by Marchy!! — x – Florida Panthers (@FlaPanthers) June 15, 2025 As Matthew Tkachuk told ESPN, 'I've never seen that move from anybody but him.' 'I didn't even have the time to think. It was just, 'Wow,'' said Lundell. 'What he can do under duress in a small area is world-class,' said coach Paul Maurice. 'It's as good as I've seen.' Matthew Tkachuk's reaction to Brad Marchand's second goal 🤣 "OH MY GOD OH MY GOD" — B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) June 15, 2025 The genius of Bill Zito adding a big-game player of Marchand's pedigree is how poised Marchand is in the big moments under the most stressful situations. It's probably also why and how, as he brags and teammates confirm, he's able to largely clean house in the high-stakes poker games on the team's flights. Advertisement It was Marchand who introduced the Dairy Queen tradition the night before road games in the Carolina Hurricanes series. It was largely he who made sure the Panthers had an all-team 'steam' in the steam room at the hotel the night before Game 5. The Panthers could have crumbled after blowing a 3-0 lead in Game 4 and suffering such a crippling overtime loss at home. Instead, in a tight turnaround behind Marchand's two goals, five shots, five others attempted and plus-3 performance, the Panthers played their most complete game of the series to put themselves a win away from a second straight title. Marchand now has six goals in this Stanley Cup Final, the most by any player in the final round since Esa Tikkanen in 1988. If he gets one more, he'll match Wayne Gretzky's seven in 1985. He's the first player in history to score at least five goals in a Cup Final with two different teams. He's the first player in history to score five goals on the road in a Cup Final. And his highlight-reel second goal Saturday — his 13th in his Stanley Cup Final career to lead all active players — was his 16th career game-winning goal in the playoffs, tying Jaromir Jagr and Patrick Marleau for the 10th-most in NHL history. Several of Marchand's 10 goals this go-around are some of the Panthers' 'biggest' goals of the playoffs. Just think of his two overtime winners, opening Game 3 with a goal less than a minute in and his two goals out of nowhere Saturday night. In the first game after Florida's seven playoff losses, Marchand has a point in each of them and 11 in total, plus seven goals. 'He does everything,' Bennett said. 'He's a guy that we follow. He's a natural leader, he speaks up when he needs to speak and he goes out there and does the hard work that's inspiring for guys. We all look up to him and look to him to lead. He's done a fantastic job at that.' Advertisement Look, this is Florida's third straight trip to the Stanley Cup Final, so this team has an aura of confidence that's unmatched by most others. It's not like without Marchand a team with guys such as Aleksander Barkov, Tkachuk, Bennett, Sam Reinhart and Aaron Ekblad would cower in a pivotal Game 5 after a bad loss in Game 4. But when you add the presence of a cool, calm and collected player like Marchand to the mix, it just lightens things up even more in the most pressure-packed games. 'He just has that passion, which you see today,' Lundell said. 'He decided he wanted to go there and be the difference maker, and he did that. Unbelievable player and we're all pretty amazed by him.' This is Marchand's fourth Stanley Cup Final. He won his first one with the Bruins in 2011, then lost the next two. As he has said often during this playoff run, he's just embracing this golden opportunity he never envisioned getting three months ago. And as he's said a few times this series, this is the loosest he has felt in some time and he feels like 'a young guy again.' Marchand talked earlier on Saturday about why the Stanley Cup is the hardest trophy to win, and how when it comes down to it, 'We're all big fans of the game. To have these two teams playing each other and playing the way they are and games playing out the way that they have, it makes you realize why you love the game so much. Marchand's arrival in Florida truly feels like the perfect 'add' by Zito, a GM Maurice often credits for always knowing the perfect players who will fit into the culture and style the Panthers want to play. 'That's what you need at this time of year,' said Reinhart. 'Everyone's nervous at times and when you've got personalities like that in the room, it just settles everything down. We're all about having fun here.'
