[Signing] Flames sign Jacob Markstrom. (6 yrs, $6mil AAV)

[868904]

Originally Posted by Tbull8

I just love that it was down to us and the Oilers (supposedly), which may have taken them out of the running for a bunch of other goalies (Holtby, Greiss, etc)

It just reeks of Oilers.

Oilers executive: hey should we maybe talk to other goalies in case Markstrom goes elsewhere?

Oilers Upper Management: don’t waste my time with that. We are the Oilers, 5 Stanley cups, we have McDavid and Draisatl and the best arena in the league. Markstrom isn’t going to choose Calgary over us. Let the media know it’s in the bag. Can’t believe you’d ask me this question, everyone wants to play with McDavid, everyone wants to drink wine with Gretzky, everyone wants unconditional praise from the canadian hockey media. Now go ask Nurse if he will give up number 25 for Marky.

[Enoch Root]

UFA signings are always a little longer and a little more expensive than you would like. That is the price you pay for a free asset.

If Markstrom sucks in the last year or two of the contract, so be it. We have added a legit #1 to the lineup. That immediately puts us into the upper tier in the North Div (this year) and the Pacific.

To anyone who thinks the price was too high, I say: if you won't pay that price for a player of Markstrom's caliber, you will never build a contender.

[CorsiHockeyLeague]

Originally Posted by flames_fan_down_under

I think I vastly underestimated how steady and well, frankly, how good Markstrom is. The guy is a very good goalie and has looked good to great in all three starts so far.

Well, yeah, I mean he's like a .935 so far. I don't think anyone has any rational expectation that that will continue for 56 games. He'll have some off nights and some average nights as well, but at the end of the season he'll have provided better overall goaltending than the Flames have had in a while. That's what happens when you have a clear top 10 goalie in the league.

As far as the signing goes, it'll be a couple years before we can really evaluate whether it was a good deal. We're 3 games in. I think if you're going to make a signing like this, the Flames were in the right place to do it - a good team that's a year removed from a conference championship that is shoring up a weak point and hoping to make a run. This contract basically gives them the goalie they need - hopefully - for the remaining time that this core has left to compete. There are a number of factors that go into whether a signing is good or bad and where a team is in its development cycle is one of them.

[Rick M.]

An added advantage to having a top goalie is how it affects team play. When you get behind you believe you can come back and when you have a lead, you are less likely to get a case of the yips.

[Flamescuprun2018]

Originally Posted by SeanCharles

The expansion draft played largely into this.

Markstrom wanted a NMC to protect him from Seattle and with Demko on the verge Vancouver couldn’t risk it.

Would be ironic if our poor drafting of Mason McDonald instead of Demko ultimately works in our favor allowing us to sign Markstrom. No expansion eligible promising goalie to protect.

Contract completion at age 35-36 season is right at the time most start to really deteriorate. Most hold at a plateau level for most part until then with only slight decline yearly in early 30s.

Source: https://hockey-graphs.com/2014/03/21...e-aging-curve/

"This curve looks reasonable in graph form, but it really predicts that goalies will fall off a cliff from age 35 on:
Change from 35 to 36 years old: -.005
Change from 36 to 37 years old: -.006
Change from 37 to 38 years old: -.007
Change from 38 to 39 years old: -.008
Change from 39 to 40 years old: -.009"

Lundqvist, Luongo, Hasek, Brodeur and even Mike Smith all managed 0.915 or better SV the season when they turned age 36.

Luongo at age 39 season managed a SV of 0.929 remarkably.

[Robbob]

Yeah, the age thing is blown out of proportion. He will be a highly effective goalie through the vast majority of his contract. Even if his SV% in his last year drops .005 it will still be around that .910 mark. Probably close to average.

[Hemi-Cuda]

I know this is still early, but when was the last time the Flames signed a big name UFA and they actually came as advertised? The last time we saw someone sign and immediately start having an impact was Hudler, though I'm not sure how much he qualifies as "big name". Every other time someone signed a big contract with the Flames it's been varying levels of disappointment, it's nice to see Markstrom finally bucking that trend. Only 3 games in and yet this could easily be Treliving's best UFA signing ever

[Gaskal]

Originally Posted by 868904

It just reeks of Oilers.

Oilers executive: hey should we maybe talk to other goalies in case Markstrom goes elsewhere?

Oilers Upper Management: don’t waste my time with that. We are the Oilers, 5 Stanley cups, we have McDavid and Draisatl and the best arena in the league. Markstrom isn’t going to choose Calgary over us. Let the media know it’s in the bag. Can’t believe you’d ask me this question, everyone wants to play with McDavid, everyone wants to drink wine with Gretzky, everyone wants unconditional praise from the canadian hockey media. Now go ask Nurse if he will give up number 25 for Marky.

Lol this was probably close to the exact conversation Nicholson had with Lowe.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Hemi-Cuda

I know this is still early, but when was the last time the Flames signed a big name UFA and they actually came as advertised? The last time we saw someone sign and immediately start having an impact was Hudler, though I'm not sure how much he qualifies as "big name". Every other time someone signed a big contract with the Flames it's been varying levels of disappointment, it's nice to see Markstrom finally bucking that trend. Only 3 games in and yet this could easily be Treliving's best UFA signing ever

I think this is definitely a factor in fan reaction to this signing. The Flames have had such a disappointing list of UFAs that a lot of fans have concluded UFA=bad. Full stop.

[Bingo]

There have been some ugly ones for sure ... but not all of them.

Hudler as mentioned.

Glencross was a solid signing ... Frolik, Engelland ... the cheap deal returns for Jokinen and Tanguay were actually solid in a dollar/production standpoint.

Hamrlik.

[Vinny01]

Originally Posted by 868904

It just reeks of Oilers.

Oilers executive: hey should we maybe talk to other goalies in case Markstrom goes elsewhere?

Oilers Upper Management: don’t waste my time with that. We are the Oilers, 5 Stanley cups, we have McDavid and Draisatl and the best arena in the league. Markstrom isn’t going to choose Calgary over us. Let the media know it’s in the bag. Can’t believe you’d ask me this question, everyone wants to play with McDavid, everyone wants to drink wine with Gretzky, everyone wants unconditional praise from the canadian hockey media. Now go ask Nurse if he will give up number 25 for Marky.

Pretty sure Oilers Nation articles are blocked here but there is an article “Edmonton Oilers really thought they were getting Markstrom”

https://############.com/2020/10/14/...cob-markstrom/

[Winsor_Pilates]

Ordered a road Markstrom jersey yesterday.
I never get player names on my jerseys but am just too thrilled about this signing, he is going to truly be a game changer for this team (already has been).
Plus wearing that around Vancouver will be ultra satisfying 🤤

[Vinny01]

Originally Posted by Winsor_Pilates

Ordered a road Markstrom jersey yesterday.
I never get player names on my jerseys but am just too thrilled about this signing, he is going to truly be a game changer for this team (already has been).
Plus wearing that around Vancouver will be ultra satisfying 🤤

Nice buy

I feel like every Flames fan in Vancouver buying a new Jersey has to go with Markstrom or Tanev but Markstrom is definitely the safer long term purchase

[bax]

Not to get too far ahead of ourselves here but, it's funny how things work out. Years of lament over drafting McDonald instead of Demko and constant criticism that Treliving has failed to bring in a top goalie.

Vancouver having Demko eventually leads to them letting their MVP walk and join the Flames. In a season where we play 10 times none the less. So far so good with Markstrom.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Bingo

There have been some ugly ones for sure ... but not all of them.

Hudler as mentioned.

Glencross was a solid signing ... Frolik, Engelland ... the cheap deal returns for Jokinen and Tanguay were actually solid in a dollar/production standpoint.

Hamrlik.

Of course.

But overall, the record hasn't been great, especially in the last few years, so it is understandable that Flame fans are irrationally gun shy.

[Inferno]

This could have went in the mask thread but Markstrom's blasty gear.

[Textcritic]

^
It is incredible. And yes, it is already the topic du jour in the Practice Notes thread.

[Winsor_Pilates]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but they don't wear Blasty until the first Oilers game?

[Textcritic]

Originally Posted by Winsor_Pilates

Correct me if I'm wrong, but they don't wear Blasty until the first Oilers game?

I don't know, but I would also think that Markstrom would want a few practices to break in a new set of gear.

Sent from my SM-G960W using Tapatalk

[Sainters7]

Originally Posted by Inferno

This could have went in the mask thread but Markstrom's blasty gear.

I'm not digging the retro helmet mixed with the Blasty gear (maybe he's waiting for an alternate Blasty helmet to get painted?), but otherwise that looks nice.

I love when goalies have a good sense of aesthetics to the point where they have different sets of gear to match each jersey. Well done Marky, you're worth every penny so far.