Canucks general manager Jim Benning said Tuesday he spoke to Markstrom's agent, Pat Morris, on Monday, three days after Vancouver was eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs with a 3-0 Game 7 loss to the Vegas Golden Knights in the Western Conference Second Round.
"We want him back and we're going to start working on that this week," Benning said of Markstrom, who was unfit to play the final three games against Vegas.
Thatcher Demko started in place of Markstrom and won two of the three games. Demko saved 123 of 125 shots in his first three Stanley Cup Playoff starts, including 42 saves in a 2-1 win in Game 5 and a Canucks and NHL rookie record 48-save shutout in a 4-0 win in Game 6. Vegas didn't score on him until 6:08 remained in Game 7.
Re-signing Markstrom has been the Canucks' expressed intent throughout the past year, and Benning said Tuesday that hasn't changed because of how well Demko played. The 24-year-old, who relieved Markstrom for 8:26 in Game 1 against Vegas, finished the playoffs with an 0.64 GAA and .985 save percentage.
"It was nice to see him get a chance and rise to the occasion," Benning said. "We've spent a lot of time with his development, and I know [goaltending coach] Ian Clark has worked really hard with him, and so for him to come in and see him play that well I think was good for everybody involved."
Markstrom was 8-6 with a 2.85 goals-against average, .919 save percentage and one shutout starting the first 14 games of the postseason for Vancouver, including a four-game win against the Minnesota Wild in the best-of-5 Stanley Cup Qualifiers and eliminating the defending Stanley Cup Champion St. Louis Blues in six games in the best-of-7 first round. This was Markstrom's first NHL postseason.
Markstrom had resumed skating prior to Game 7, Benning said, and might have been able to return if Vancouver advanced to the Western Conference Final. The 30-year-old, who completed his third full season as the Canucks' No. 1 goalie, was 23-16-4 with a 2.75 GAA, .918 save percentage and two shutouts this season.
Selected by the Florida Panthers in the second round (No. 31) of the 2008 NHL Draft, he is 110-118-32 in 272 games (256 starts) in 10 NHL seasons with the Panthers and Canucks.
"Jacob is an important guy in our group," Benning said, "because he's a leader and he was our MVP over the regular season, so we're going to try to figure out a way that makes sense for us and that makes Jacob and his agent happy, to try to figure out a deal to get him signed."
Because the NHL schedule next season is expected to be condensed, Benning said the Canucks hope to use Markstrom and Demko extensively. A start date for next season has not been announced.
"[Coach Travis Green] is a big believer in having two good goalies," Benning said, "and with the travel schedule we have during the regular season, I believe we need to have two good goalies."
