CALGARY -- Calgary Flames general manager Craig Conroy believes the relationship between he and Jacob Markstrom will not sour amidst rumors the goalie was available prior to the 2024 NHL Trade Deadline on Friday.
Markstrom, who has two seasons remaining on a six-year, $36 million contract ($6 million average annual value) signed Oct. 9, 2020, was not traded prior to the deadline.
"I'm not going to speculate on if we were moving him or if we weren't moving him," Conroy said. "Bottom line is these are the guys I moved today, and the guys that are here now are part of the Calgary Flames moving forward.
"But it is hard. Jacob ... there's a lot of people they were talking about, and that's the thing. You wish it wasn't, because they have families. I know what it's like. It's very hard. It's an uncomfortable thing. You have kids, you have families. And I totally understand it. You wish you could keep it out of the media, but that's just not the way it is today."
Markstrom is 22-16-2 with a 2.62 goals-against average and a .911 save percentage in 40 games this season.
He wasn't happy being the subject of speculation.
"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 last week. "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."
Calgary (31-26-5) could miss the playoffs for a second straight season but has won 10 of its past 14 games and is six points back of the Vegas Golden Knights for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Western Conference with one game in hand.
The Flames have managed to stay in the race despite overhauling their roster, moving out several key pending unrestricted free agents. Defenseman Nikita Zadorov was traded to the Vancouver Canucks on Nov. 30, center Elias Lindholm was traded to the Canucks on Jan. 31, and defenseman Chris Tanev was traded to the Dallas Stars in a three-team deal that included the New Jersey Devils on Feb. 28.
Defenseman Noah Hanifin was traded to the Golden Knights in a three-way deal that included the Philadelphia Flyers on Wednesday.
"The one thing I know ... Jacob's a competitor and he cares about these guys," Conroy said. "I know there's been noise, but all he does is play well. All he does is play well. Jacob and I are going to be fine. The one thing I know is he cares about this team, he cares about this organization, and he's going to be exactly what he's been -- one of the best goalies in this league."
