More than a week before the draft, an event conducive to transactions, two teams have already found a new goalkeeper.
The New Jersey Devils dealt a 2025 first-round pick and a young defensive-minded defenseman for 34-year-old Jacob Markstrom, and the Los Angeles Kings dumped Pierre-Luc Dubois to the Los Angeles Capitals for Darcy Kuemper , also 34 years old.
The demand for guards remains very strong. Several clubs still want to solidify this position and others still have some for sale. Let’s start with the buyers.
The new management seeks to correct the mistake of former general manager Pierre Dorion. Joonas Korpisalo received $20 million for five years on the free agent market last summer and had an atrocious season: 21-26-4 record, 3.27 GAA and .890 save percentage. The Senators would have been in the mix for Markstrom, says Sun Media tipster Bruce Garrioch. Ottawa could use their extra first-round pick at No. 25 to get a goaltender. It will then be necessary to buy out Korpisalo’s contract. We’ll have to pay it off over eight years, but we’ll cut his salary substantially and save a little less than $6 million.
Let’s put it politely: Ilya Samsonov was bad last winter. His young assistant Joseph Woll is superior, but he still has to prove himself, despite two big games in the playoffs before getting injured. Samsonov will be entitled to unrestricted free agent status in a few weeks, like Martin Jones and Matt Murray, lost somewhere in the infirmary. Toronto must also revamp its defense with the possible departures of Mark Giordano, T. J. Brodie, Jake Muzzin, John Klinberg, Ilya Lyubushkin and Joel Edmundson, all unrestricted free agents. Only the last two played regularly in the playoffs.
Ville Husso didn’t cost GM Steve Yzerman much in July 2022, a modest third-round pick, but he hasn’t done the job in two years in Detroit and will be in his final year of contract this winter . The Wings have two promising prospects in net, Sebastian Cossa, a 2021 first-round pick, and Trey Augustine, a 2022 second-round pick, the starting goaltender for Team USA at the most recent World Junior Championship, ahead of CH hope Jacob Fowler. But both are 21 or younger. Yzerman hoped to see his club reach the playoffs last season by hiring a host of veterans, but he failed. If he wants to participate for the first time in nine years next year, he will have to find a quality goalkeeper.
As luck would have it, at least three teams have goalkeepers to exchange. The account is perfect to satisfy Detroit, Toronto and Ottawa.
The alternation system is ended in Boston. Jeremy Swayman, the younger of the two goalies at 25, played hero in the playoffs. Linus Ullmark, 30, the winner of the Vezina Trophy as the MVP just a year ago, is up for trade. Ullmark is nevertheless one year away from full autonomy. The acquiring club must ensure that it offers a long-term agreement quickly, otherwise it will constitute a temporary solution. Boston needs reinforcements in other positions, in the center among others. Not only will he get a quality player or an advantageous draft pick, but Ullmark’s departure will free up $5 million on payroll and potentially allow for hires, who knows free agent Elias Lindholm?
John Gibson, 30, was once one of the NHL’s most promising goalies. He seems exhausted from carrying his young club at arm’s length. He is not helped by his teammates, of course, but his statistics have been atrocious for two years. He hasn’t posted a save percentage above .905 since 2019. Lukas Dostal, 23, arguably remains the goaltender of the future for the Ducks, a club still rebuilding. He shared the work almost equally with Gibson last year. Gibson still has some value, but he comes with three more years on his contract at an annual salary of $6.4 million. Whose risk is it?
General manager Barry Trotz is in good shape. He can trade 29-year-old veteran Juuse Saros with one year left of his full free agency and hope to receive a late first-round pick. He can also put Saros under a long-term contract, a scenario that shouldn’t be ruled out, and aspire to an even more interesting return for young freshman Yaroslav Askarov, 22, a first-round pick, 11th overall in 2020. Askarov showed a 30-13-1 record with a 2.39 GAA and .911 save percentage in the American League last season. He was brilliant in two games in the NHL. Trotz may dare to ask for a top 10 pick or top prospect for his services.
Anthony Mantha will not be back with the Vegas Golden Knights. Mantha will be able to offer his services to the team of his choice on the free agent market starting July 1. Vegas does not intend to submit an offer to him, Mantha confirmed to RDS recently. The Quebecer was acquired by the Golden Knights at the trade deadline for second-round picks in 2024 and fourth-round picks in 2026. Mantha, 29, had 10 points in 18 regular-season games, but was scratched from the lineup in the team’s last four playoff games, after being shut out in the first three. He bounced back in the regular season in Washington with 34 points, including 20 goals, in 56 games.
