Markstrom talks Huberdeau trade, Flames improvement in Q&A with NHL.com

In NHL.com's Q&A feature called "Sitting Down with …" we talk to key figures in the game, gaining insight into their lives on and off the ice. In this special offseason edition, we feature Calgary Flames goalie Jacob Markstrom.

PARIS -- Jacob Markstrom's emotions bounced like a puck on bad ice for nearly two months after the Calgary Flames lost to the Edmonton Oilers in the Battle of Alberta and were eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The Flames goalie had to get over the initial low of allowing 24 goals against the Oilers in five games in the Western Conference Second Round, including the five he gave up in a season-ending Game 5 loss on May 26.
Then he watched forward Johnny Gaudreau leave via free agency to sign with the Columbus Blue Jackets on July 13. That was followed by forward Matthew Tkachuk being traded to the Florida Panthers on July 22.
That was two-thirds of Calgary's top line, its top two scorers who totaled 219 points (82 goals, 137 assists) last season, walking right out the door.
But then came the high of welcoming forward Jonathan Huberdeau, a former teammate of Markstrom's when he played for the Panthers, and defenseman MacKenzie Weegar to the Flames as the main pieces in the return for Tkachuk.
Markstrom then saw Huberdeau sign an eight-year, $84 million contract on Aug. 5, followed by center Nazem Kadri signing a seven-year, $49 million contract on Aug. 18.
And finally, Markstrom, the runner-up for the Vezina Trophy, voted as the NHL's best goalie last season, came to a conclusion.
"I think it's a better team than we had before," Markstrom said. "It's an unbelievable job by the front office and everybody working on that. It makes us as players really excited to come back and get back into it."
The 32-year-old offered more of his thoughts on why he thinks Calgary can improve on last season, when it finished first in the Pacific Division with 111 points. He also discussed the addition of Huberdeau, his rise to become one of the best goalies in the NHL and more in an interview with NHL.com at the NHL's European Player Media Tour last month.
This interview can also be heard on the "NHL @TheRink" podcast, which is free and listeners can subscribe on all podcast platforms. It is also available on
NHL.com/multimedia/podcasts
and the NHL app.
Why do you think the Flames are a better team now?
"Obviously, the feeling is because those guys that are there, you have both Huberdeau and Kadri sign long-term deals, they want to be there. That means a lot for anyone, whether you're a hockey player or you do something else. If you're at a place you want to be it's going to add a few extra percentages with everything. With that being said, it's sad to have two teammates that I had for the past two years that I got along with well, leave. I wish them well, luck with almost every game this season except when they play us, but I'm super excited to get back with the Flames and for the season to start again."
You know Jonathan Huberdeau. You grew up with him in the Florida system, played with him there. Have you talked to him since he was acquired and signed?
"Yeah, I texted him right away after it happened and a few days later he got back to me. It was obviously surprising to him. He didn't expect to get traded. I know how it is to be traded, but not to that extent, where he's one of the top players in the League and being traded without knowing he was going to be traded. I talked to him a little bit about Calgary, about the team, about the city, all the guys from the team. We have a great group of guys and he's going to fit right in. Just tried to make him feel a little better, ease his mind a little bit. Obviously, he signed the contract shortly after and no one is happier than me about that."

How much different is Jonathan now having spoken to him recently and just knowing him as compared to when he was just coming up and you guys first met?
"He's an old man now. No, but he's grown into his body and he matured. Same with me, too. I was in my early 20s the last time I spent time with him and was his teammate. We both grew into our positions as NHL players, and him being one of the best in the world it's great to have him back as a teammate. He looks bigger. He's thicker. He's stronger. That was the big thing I noticed. But as a guy, he's an unbelievable guy, great teammate. I'm excited to share a locker room with him again."
You said you, as well as Huberdeau, have grown into who you are now as an NHL player. But it was a process to get here, through the growing pains in Florida, establishing yourself with the Vancouver Canucks and now taking your game to Calgary. Can you describe your mindset and how you had to handle yourself to get to where you are now because it was not an easy path?
"No, not for sure, but looking back at it now, it's so much experience. The most important thing for me was my stubbornness and the self-belief I had in myself. But there were times in my first few years when I was in the minors and played a few games in Florida that I felt like I could play but I wasn't or I didn't know how much work you really had to put in to be a consistent player in the NHL. I was young and made decisions not solely on being a professional hockey player. It was like, 'I'm here now and it's OK, everything is going to happen.' But instead of waiting for everything to happen you realize you get left behind and the train is going to leave the station if you don't get on it. You have to make it happen and you have to earn it and you've got to deserve it. It took longer than obviously I wanted. There was a time I got traded to Vancouver from Florida and they signed Ryan Miller the next year. I was in Utica (of the American Hockey League) and that was one time that it was kind of do or die. You look at yourself. I was 24 and I've been in North America for five years and I haven't established myself as an NHL goalie. But going to Vancouver was a key turning point for me. You've got the forwards Henrik and Daniel Sedin] twins there, [defenseman Alexander] Edler and [forward] Loui Eriksson came there to really show me what it takes to be a high-level NHL player."
**Can your story, your path help younger players on your team now, especially younger goalies?**
"I always try. I was so taken care of and I appreciate it. I know how much it meant to somebody young who hadn't really established himself to feel like they have somebody who has been a part of it. I look at me and Dan Vladar's situation. He reminds me so much of me when I was younger, how we play goalie, the size and how he is as a person too, very happy, very outgoing. I try to tell him everything I can to help him because I know he's going to be a real good goalie in the future. It takes time, some people longer and some people shorter."
It takes self-belief too, because you're telling him things and probably thinking, 'Well, he's going to go take somebody's job, but he's not taking mine."
"Yeah, but it's a healthy competition and you need that. For us last year he had a big part in our success. I played the majority of the game but he came in and posted a shutout in his third NHL game and he had another shutout two weeks later. I think that gave him and the players out there confidence too. Everybody loves him. He's such a good guy and [has] good energy. I know how it is to not play a lot of games and sit behind. It's easy to be not sad, but a little more quiet because you don't feel like you're giving much to the team, but he's very similar to how I was and to know you have to push everyone even if you're not playing."
So last season overall was a great season for you and the Flames, but it didn't end that way. Do you still carry it with you? And if so, what does it do for you now?
"It's inspiring me. It was a good season but it's a bad season pretty much. When you talk about last season, I went back to Sweden and people want to talk about the season, but they don't ask about game 50. They ask about game 100 against Edmonton. For sure that carries with me. You've gotten over the part where you realize it's done and over with, but I'll bring it with me."
Results aside, what was it like playing in the Battle of Alberta?
"Awesome. Both cities, the whole province was buzzing. I'm not a huge social media guy and I watch Swedish TV shows so I don't really notice much, but everywhere you go there were Flames flags in every car window, Flames stickers. The fans were crazy. You had the red lot, the sea of red in the arena. It was unbelievable. I feel like the toughest part is you feel like you let the city and the Flames fans down because we had something really good going and I know they wanted more. We wanted more as well. The first reaction is you let those guys down, and you don't want to have that feeling again."
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