The Toronto Maple Leafs goaltending tandem for the 2024-25 NHL season will look drastically different than it did at the end of last year.
Ilya Samsonov, despite his season turnaround, has likely had his time run out with the team. His one-year deal dished out in arbitration last summer often indicates that a long-term partnership is not in play. Martin Jones played well for the team but wasn’t an option as the season progressed. Joseph Woll is likely the long-term option, but his injury history is scratchy, to say the least.
That is why it isn’t shocking to hear that Brad Treliving may be in the market for another option. The newest rumor? His former number one, Jacob Markstrom.
Report: Leafs are in on Markstrom
On the most recent episode of 32 Thoughts the Podcast, Elliotte Friedman was addressing the rumors between the Calgary Flames and the New Jersey Devils as it relates to Markstrom’s availability. He had this to add:
I wonder about Toronto, and I know deals with Toronto and Calgary are kind of complicated, but the GM in Toronto is the guy who signed Markstrom in Calgary. Just on paper, a Markstrom-Woll combination is a pretty good combination. I look at that and can see why a team like Toronto would be interested in that.
Friedman expanded that there is a lot of interest in Markstrom league wide, including the New Jersey Devils and Ottawa Senators, due to just two years remaining on his contract and potentially at a better price than it would cost to get a starting goalie on the open market. That being said, Calgary appears to be keeping this situation as quiet as possible due to how hectic it was earlier in the season.
For both teams, it makes sense that Markstrom could be a good fit with the Leafs, but there are two ways of thinking here. The first is that the Leafs genuinely wants to spend assets to solidify their crease, whether that be because they are worried about Woll’s injury history or they think goaltending was their downfall in the playoffs yet again.
The second way of thinking could be that this is another Treliving smoke and mirrors show. He is notorious for being the GM who is in on almost every trade, but never being the one to actually make it.
If there are other teams involved like the Devils and Senators, they have better assets than the Leafs could offer. The 10th and seventh overall picks, respectively, are in play for those two teams which would be much more enticing if you are the Flames. Add in the fact that there might be more behind the scenes between Flames owner Murray Edwards and Treliving, the cost for Toronto to acquire Markstrom could be significantly higher.
Perhaps we’re talking about a larger deal than just Markstrom, but it’s definitely a of a story to watch for the Leafs.
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