The hockey world was abuzz for the past week about the emergence of trade rumours linking the Calgary Flames and New Jersey Devils with a possible Jacob Markstrom move, and then filled with confusion when it didn’t come to fruition.
Speaking on Thursday’s edition of TSN’s Insider Trading, Pierre LeBrun reported that the Devils are still interested in making a move happen.
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Here’s LeBrun:
“What we understand here gents is that the Devils are still interested in trying to make a trade work with Calgary for Jacob Markstrom. It doesn’t mean they’ll be able to do it, but what we heard today is that they’ll continue their efforts with the Flames to find a way.
Again, part of the reason talks broke down is that one, New Jersey wants Calgary to retain some of that salary on two and a half years of the contract for Markstrom. And if Calgary does that, what is the asset that comes Calgary’s way? And so there was some disagreement on all that. But again, the Devils still hoping to find a way.”
On the same segment, Chris Johnston added that the Flames defenceman Chris Tanev remains “the number one target” for the Toronto Maple Leafs. But the Leafs’ lack of high picks is getting in the way of making a deal.
“Really, I think the biggest impediment so far into the Leafs making that deal is they don’t want to move their first-rounder still, they don’t have second-rounders in the next three drafts and so they’ve tried to go with volume, offering multiple lower-round draft picks. And so far, the teams involved in those discussions have no interest in doing that.”
The 2023-24 trade deadline is 3 p.m. MT on Friday, March 8.
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