The Hellebuyck Case: The Panthers Must Regret Acquiring Jacob Markstrom

Mathis Therrien
The Hellebuyck Case: The Panthers Must Regret Acquiring Jacob Markstrom
Credit: Capture d'écran Twitter

Earlier this summer, the Florida Panthers made a major decision regarding their team and their immediate future when they decided not to retain Sergei Bobrovsky.

The 37-year-old Russian goaltender subsequently signed as a free agent with the Toronto Maple Leafs to a three-year deal worth $7 million annually, while the Panthers turned to acquiring Jacob Markstrom from the New Jersey Devils.

The Panthers have thus filled a void left by Bobrovsky, but they may have done so too quickly.

Indeed, with Connor Hellebuyck—a 33-year-old goalie who is still an elite player—recently becoming available, I'm convinced that Bill Zito regrets to some extent trading for Jacob Markstrom, who is 36 years old.

If they were going to replace a good goalie like Bobrovsky with a less-than-stellar one who's only a year younger, the Panthers could have acquired a 33-year-old goalie who's still at the top of the NHL.

Furthermore, I'm certain that Hellebuyck would have loved to play in Florida—a U.S. market with low taxes—which would have drawn even more criticism.

The Panthers could have offered the Jets some very attractive assets in exchange for Hellebuyck, and it clearly could have been a great deal for everyone involved.

The Jets would simply have had to receive salary in return so that the Panthers could absorb Hellebuyck's $8.5 million on their payroll without exceeding the cap, but in the end, I think something could have worked out.

Florida could have ended up with one of the NHL's best goaltenders, along with one of the best top-6 forwards and a very solid defense as well.

Let's just say it's better this way—they were quick to acquire Markstrom.

We're now keeping an eye on the New Jersey Devils in the Hellebuyck situation—they've traded Markstrom—and they'd be a great destination for the American goaltender.


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