FORT LAUDERDALE — Jacob Markstrom, the 36-year-old goaltender the Florida Panthers once drafted and traded away, is back as the team’s new starting goalie after a deal that sent two Stanley Cup champions to the New Jersey Devils.
The Panthers acquired Markstrom and depth forward Angus Crookshank on Tuesday in exchange for Evan Rodrigues and Jesper Boqvist, clearing $4.5 million off the salary cap to absorb Markstrom’s $6 million hit, Florida Hockey Now reported. Markstrom replaces Sergei Bobrovsky between the pipes for a franchise that has won the Stanley Cup twice since his departure.
“I’m super stoked, super excited” to be back with the Panthers, Markstrom said Friday. “It’s a crazy business.”
Markstrom was originally drafted by the Panthers with the first pick of the second round in 2008 and played in 43 games for the club before being shipped to Vancouver in 2014 as part of the Roberto Luongo blockbuster. Luongo, who now runs the Panthers’ goaltending department, had a heavy hand in bringing Markstrom back to South Florida.
“I didn’t think I was going to get traded 12 years ago — or however long it was,” Markstrom said. “I didn’t think I was going to get traded back, either. It’s good to get back. I’m excited to go into that dressing room.”
Markstrom rejoins former Panthers teammates Sasha Barkov and Dmitry Kulikov and also played with Sam Bennett and Matthew Tkachuk in Calgary. He said conversations with general manager Bill Zito, Luongo, and goalie coach Robb Tallas sealed his enthusiasm for the move.
“I had great conversations with Bill Zito, Lu, Robb Tallas,” Markstrom said. “It gets your blood pumping a little bit. It’s a special feeling to be back in Florida, you know, where I was drafted.”
Tallas, who coached Markstrom during his first stint in Florida, told the goaltender he had “grown a lot” as a goalie coach. Markstrom returned the sentiment: “I told him I have grown, too. I have a beard, have a wife, have kids. I have become a much better goaltender, am established in this league more than I was when I was 20. It’s going to be a lot of fun to work with him again.”
NHL free agency opened Wednesday. The Panthers open training camp in early-to-mid September in Fort Lauderdale, with preseason play beginning Sept. 20 against the Carolina Hurricanes.