The Detroit Red Wings should trade for Jacob Markstrom.
Jacob Markstrom has quickly emerged as my favorite potential trade target if Yzerman and the Detroit Red Wings want to upgrade the goaltender position.
Markstrom turns 34 later this month and is having another excellent season for the Flames. Calgary is in basically the same position as the Detroit Red Wings. They are a fringe playoff team, like Detroit, sitting fourth in the Wild Card race in the Western Conference. The Flames sit with 45 points through 43 games, two points behind the Edmonton Oilers, who control the second Wild Card spot, and a mere four points behind the Nashville Predators, currently in the first Wild Card spot.
The Detroit Red Wings totaled 47 points over 43 games and also sit fourth in the Wild Card race in the Eastern Conference, one point behind the Islanders and trailing the Lightning by just two points.
Despite being right in the thick of things, the Flames are expected to become sellers ahead of the NHL Trade Deadline, and one of their top trade chips is their veteran goaltender. Markstrom has posted a 13-11-2 record this season with one shutout. He's maintained a very good save percentage of .912 to pair with a 2.59 goals-against average. Both are near his career average. Like Gibson, Markstrom is under contract through the 2025-26 season at $6 million per season. He'd be a significant upgrade to Husso and someone the Detroit Red Wings could pair Lyon with for the remainder of this season and next. Lyon is signed through next season at a very team-friendly $900,000 per season.
Again, for a deal to be made, the Flames would need to have interest in Ville Husso. Husso turns 29 in February and would give Calgary an experienced netminder at a cheaper rate as they enter an expected rebuild. Of course, the Red Wings will need to add more to any potential trade package. Again, maybe Jonatan Berggren or perhaps one of Detroit's defense prospects. Calgary only has two regulars on the backend signed past this season (Rasmus Andersson and MacKenzie Weegar). Defenseman and pending unrestricted free agent Noah Hanifin has publicly mentioned that he has no intention of signing a contract extension with the Flames. Maybe a deal that includes Husso, Albert Johansson, and some draft capital would be a good spot to start the trade conversations.