NHL Trade Rumors: Insider speculates "serious" talks between Calgary Flames and Devils for netminder Jacob Markstrom

The NHL trade rumor mill is abuzz as insider Elliotte Friedman reported serious discussions between the Calgary Flames and the New Jersey Devils over goaltender Jacob Markstrom.

On Thursday, The Flames were in Newark to clash with the Devils at the Prudential Center and are said to have engaged in substantial trade talks.

Sportsnet's Friedman revealed that general managers Tom Fitzgerald of the Devils and Craig Conroy of the Calgary Flames had conversations about the potential acquisition of the 34-year-old netminder.

Friedman said on Saturday Headlines:

“From what I understand, the two teams are not commenting. In the lead-up to that game, the two teams had legit conversations about the Calgary goalie.”

He clarified that it was uncertain if Markstrom was approached about the trade, indicating that the discussions might have been preliminary.

“There are a couple of things I want to make clear here. No.1, I don’t know that this ever was taken to Markstrom. So, I don’t know if he ever got involved. But, I do think the two teams talked about this quite seriously and I think there were a couple of issues."

The insider highlighted two main sticking points in the negotiations:

"One, of course, was the package it would take to get him and the other was retention. Now, is it still possible? "

Friedman also suggested that the deal faced significant hurdles, saying:

"I just heard it’s really tough to do, really difficult, and it stopped in its tracks. But, the two sides did talk, I believe there were some serious conversations, and we’ll see if it picks up. Although, it just sounds today like it’s unlikely.”

This revelation suggests that the Devils are actively seeking to bolster their goaltending lineup. However, the pursuit of Markstrom appears to have hit a wall suggesting that a trade is unlikely to materialize at this juncture.

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Calgary Flames 5-3 win over the Devils on Thursday

Connor Zary and Andrew Mangiapane both contributed with a goal and an assist for the Calgary Flames. Mikael Backlund, Kevin Rooney and Andrei Kuzmenko, each scored a goal for the Flames. Also, Jacob Markstrom made an outstanding 37 saves. Additionally, defenseman Noah Hanifan provided two assists for the Flames.

For the Devils, Ondřej Palát managed to score two goals and Nico Hischier scored a short-handed breakaway goal.