The New Jersey Devils were in desperate need of a goaltender after not making the playoffs during the 2023-24 season. Throughout the year, Devils President and General Manager Tom Fitzgerald narrowed his list down to one guy. That goaltender was Jacob Markstrom.

Fitzgerald had his eye on Markstrom dating back to last offseason and early into the season. However, Markstrom and Calgary Flames General Manager Craig Conroy were unable to make a deal happen. However, some outside circumstances factored in the Devils not getting Markstrom at the deadline.

It was clear Markstrom was willing to waive his no-movement clause to come to New Jersey at the March 2024 Trade Deadline. He had been asked by Flames management to do so and was told about the opportunity to win. Not to mention, he had only told management to approach him if a deal was in place.

Jacob Markstrom came to NJ bc he felt the team had what it took to compete for a Cup.

Markstrom believes in that statement even more now & knows the Devils are not far off. He says he can play better & do just a couple of things differently, which is easy to fix. #njdevils…

— Jim Biringer (@JimBiringer) May 1, 2025

The fact that they went to him was a good sign. Unfortunately, it took longer, and during the 2024 Stanley Cup Final, he became a member of the Devils. However, once he knew there was something in place for this Devils team to be successful.

“Looking at this team before I arrived. And then, obviously, coming here, I think we got it. It’s not far off,” Markstrom said on Devils locker clean-up day. “And I think that’s what we just got to get on the same page, myself included, got to play a little bit more consistent over the course of the season, and carry that over into the playoffs.”

While you might think that, by the way Markstrom plays, wearing his heart on his sleeve, it would hurt the team, the players feed off the emotions he brings to each game. The guys love playing in front of him. It is a rallying point for the team.

Having a guy like Markstrom back there allows the team to play their style and feed off the momentum of a big save. That was something that was missing in previous seasons. With the group that Fitzgerald constructed, it’s easy to see why Markstrom wanted to join and be a member of the New Jersey Devils.

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The key now is what the future holds for the Devils number one goaltender. When the Devils acquired Markstrom from the Flames, he had two years left on a deal that paid him $6 million per season. The Flames retained 31.25 percent of the salary, making the Devils responsible for $4.125 million.

With one year left on his deal and eligible to sign an extension on July 1st, all indications are that he is willing to extend with the Devils as soon as he can.

“You, obviously, want to live in the moment and take it day by day, but absolutely if Fitzy want to call, I’m picking up,” Markstrom told reporters when asked about his contract and if he wanted to stay with the Devils during clean-up day. 

It will be interesting to see how the Devils play it with Markstrom, considering the highest a goalie ever was paid was Martin Brodeur at $8 million a season, which carried over into the salary cap era from the pre-salary cap world.

This past season, Markstrom put up a record of 26-16-4 with a 2.50 goals against average and a .900 save percentage. The 35-year-old has a career record of 241-212-63 with a 2.71 goals against average and a .908 save percentage.

He has earned a raise from what he is getting now. Jacob Markstrom is a big reason why the Devils got as far as they did this season, and in the playoffs, as he posted a 2.78 goals against average and a .911 save percentage, stopping 164 of 180 shots faced.

Markstrom is eligible to sign an extension July 1st.

From all indications he is willing to pick up the phone right away and get it done.

That’s how much he believes in this team. #njdevils @FullPressNHL

— Jim Biringer (@JimBiringer) May 1, 2025

However, Markstrom believes he helped the group make the playoffs. He knows he can be better, along with the rest of the group. But he wants to stay with the Devils because he knows they have it.

“Yeah, even more. Like I said, it’s not far off,” Markstrom continued on Devils locker clean up day. “We just got to do a few things a little bit differently. And goalie got to play a little bit better. That’s an easy fix.”

The New Jersey Devils have found the perfect match with Jacob Markstrom between the pipes, and it’s clear he wants to stay, so now it’s on management to get it done.

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