Markstrom turning in MVP-calibre season

Jacob Markstrom is playing some of the best hockey of his NHL career and has the Canucks competing for the division title heading into the final stretch of the regular season.

Many fans were skeptical when the Canucks first acquired Markstrom from the Florida Panthers back in 2014 as part of the Roberto Luongo trade. The Swedish netminder had posted underwhelming numbers in limited NHL action and had yet to prove he could be a starter at the NHL level. Markstrom has more than proved doubters wrong since arriving in Vancouver.
Ever since he became a full-time starter for the Canucks in 2017, only five NHL goaltenders have faced more rubber than Markstrom (4,996 Shots Against). Vancouver's 2020 NHL All-Star netminder is once again one of the busiest netminders in the league this year. He's made a whopping 1,244 saves this season, which is next to only Montreal's Carey Price (1,384 saves) and Winnipeg's Connor Hellebuyck (1,397 saves).
Markstrom is being peppered on a nightly basis and has made 30-plus saves on 19 different occasions. The Canucks have surrendered the seventh-most amount of shots in the league this season yet rank 14th best when it comes to goals allowed (3.02 GAA/ GP). This has largely been due to Markstrom outduelling the opposing team's netminder and propelling his team to victory on a nightly basis. In fact, when you look at Markstrom's 22 victories this season, the Canucks only outshot their opponent in seven of those games.
From a 43-save shutout against the Hurricanes back in December to a recent 49-save shutout win over Chicago, we're consistently seeing Markstrom's ability to put the team on his back and carry the Canucks to victory. To get an idea of what Markstrom means to this team and the fans, look no further than that outstanding performance against Chicago on Feb. 12 on Sedin Night. As the clock winds down on Markstrom's 49-save shutout performance, the fans at Rogers Arena begins serenading their starting netminder with "Marky" chants.
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Markstrom's 22 wins are sixth most among all NHL goalies this season, while his .918 save percentage is 15th best (minimum 10 GP). To really get an idea of just how good Markstrom has been, you have to dive a little deeper into the stats. "GSAA" - Goals Saved Above Average is a stat that that calculates the number of goals allowed by a goaltender compared to the number of goals that would have been allowed by a league average goalie. Markstrom's 11.87 GSAA is 10th best overall and ranks him sixth best among all NHL goaltenders who have played at least 30 games.
Markstrom is also thriving when it comes to high-danger chances. The Canucks tend to surrender plenty of high-quality chances in prime scoring areas and Markstrom has been been equal to the task. The Canucks' netminder has faced the fifth-most high danger shots in the league (356) and his .843 HDSV% is eighth best among all NHL goalies. He's bailing the Canucks out of costly defensive mistakes and coming up big when it's needed the most.

When it comes to Vezina and Hart Trophy conversation, Markstrom is slowly making a case for both. Since the start of the New Year, Markstrom's nine wins are behind only Columbus' Elvis Merzlikins (11) and Tampa Bay's Andrei Vasilevskiy (15). Where Markstrom may really have a case is when you compare the Canucks' defensive structure to the defensive structure of other teams with Vezina contenders.
Andrei Vasilevskiy (Tampa Bay), Tuukka Rask (Boston) and Ben Bishop (Dallas) each have some of the best stats in the NHL this season and are among those believed to be in the early Vezina conversation. The Lightning, Bruins, and Stars all rank top-15 in the NHL in scoring chances allowed and shots allowed. Markstrom is doing what he's doing behind a Canucks defense that is ranked 28th in scoring chances allowed and 24th in shots against.
What makes Markstrom's season even more impressive is that he's doing it through adversity. Markstrom lost his father to cancer back in November and has stayed mentally strong throughout the entire process. His ability to post a 43-save shutout just a week after attending his father's memorial service in Sweden and continue his phenomenal play throughout the year speaks volume to his character.
While the stats indicate Markstrom is establishing himself among the NHL's best, it's his style of play and progression that should really have the team and fans excited for the future. Markstrom is playing with a never-say-die attitude that routinely sees him come up with saves on plays that seemed like sure goals. He's on pace to post his best ever save percentage with the Canucks and has already matched his career high with two shutouts on the season.
The Canucks are enjoying a great season and chasing the Pacific Division title, but it's hard to imagine where they would be without Jacob Markstrom.