Flames Goaltender Jacob Markstrom Reportedly Blocked Trade to Western Conference Team

The Calgary Flames made plenty of moves ahead of the trade deadline, and now the reason why they didn't move star goaltender Jacob Markstrom has officially been revealed.

Jacob Markstrom blocks a move to a Pacific Division rival

According to Nick Kypreos, the Los Angeles Kings had a deal in place to land the Calgary Flames star, but he used his NMC to block the deal, citing his lack of desire to live on the West Coast as the reason why.





This was the second time this happened over the deadline for the Kings, with Boston Bruins goaltender Linus Ullmark using the same reasoning to block a move West as the Kings looked to gear up for a deep playoff run with a star netminder. Now, the team will have to make do with the veteran pairing of Cam Talbot and David Rittich, and while they've been solid this season, that's not a great plan for a team that is looking for a Stanley Cup run, and this summer they will be in on most goalies on the market.

With the Calgary Flames looking to the future with Dustin Wolf in net, it appears that they'll move Markstrom this summer, and with the Devils, Kings and other teams interested, expect a bidding war to commence. At 34-years of age, the Swedish goaltender was a Vezina Trophy candidate before going down with injury shortly after the deadline, but given how the Flames are prioritizing assets for the future, it's highly likely that he will be moved before the upcoming 2024 NHL Draft, just potentially not to the Los Angeles Kings.