CALGARY -- Jacob Markstrom addressed his future with the Calgary Flames on Friday.
The goaltender, who has two seasons remaining on a six-year, $36 million contract ($6 million average annual value) signed with Calgary on Oct. 9, 2020, has been the subject of rumors ahead of the 2024 NHL Trade Deadline on March 8.
"I mean, I think everyone in here, every player in here, I really respect everything that's been going on and not going on," Markstrom said. "How everyone in this room has handled everything, I think it's been really good. You know, the whole situation and everything, am I happy about that? No, I'm not, and I think it could've been handled a lot different from up top."
The Flames (29-25-5) have won four straight games but are seven points behind the Nashville Predators for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Western Conference with two games in hand. They next play the Pittsburgh Penguins at home Saturday (10 p.m. ET; CBC, SN, SN360, SN1, CITY, TVAS-D, SN-PIT).
Markstrom is 20-15-2 with a 2.56 goals-against average and .914 save percentage in 37 games. His .865 high-danger save percentage leads the NHL.
"You've got to come in and put the gear on and work," Markstrom said.
Calgary could miss the playoffs for the second straight season and already has traded away three veterans this season. Defenseman Nikita Zadorov was traded to the Vancouver Canucks on Nov. 30, forward Elias Lindholm was traded to the Canucks on Jan. 31, and defenseman Chris Tanev was sent to the Dallas Stars in a three-team trade that included the New Jersey Devils on Wednesday.
In addition to Markstrom, defenseman Noah Hanifin has been part of trade rumors. Hanifin can become an unrestricted free agent after the season.
"You never want to be part of a selling team," defenseman MacKenzie Weegar said. "You want to be on a buying team and you know, a team and an organization that I still believe in to make the playoffs and ultimately [win] a Stanley Cup. It's not hard to do, I know we're not in the best spot. Guys obviously have different feelings, but I still have a lot of time here. Patience is obviously key, but just a bit disappointing to be part of a selling team for sure."
General manager Craig Conroy suggested the Flames aren't likely to be done on the trade front ahead of the deadline.
"Right now we just worked through this one and we're just going to kind of work our way along the path here," Conroy told NHL.com after trading Tanev. "We've got three more games before [the trade deadline] and I'll just continue to work the phones and try to find the best deal I can for the Calgary Flames."
