SUNRISE — The Florida Panthers traded for goaltender Jacob Markstrom, bringing the 36-year-old Swede back to the organization that drafted him in 2008 and signaling the end of the Sergei Bobrovsky era in South Florida. Bobrovsky will become a free agent Wednesday when NHL free agency opens.
General Manager Bill Zito announced the club acquired Markstrom and forward Angus Crookshank from the New Jersey Devils in exchange for forwards Evan Rodrigues, Jesper Boqvist and Ben Steeves. “Jacob is an established veteran leader in this league who possesses size and a relentless drive to win,” said Zito. “We are excited for him to compete alongside our established group and return to South Florida.”
Zito also acknowledged the departing players. “We also want to extend our sincere gratitude to Evan and Jesper for their contributions to our organization,” he said. Rodrigues carries a $3 million cap hit with one year remaining on his contract, while Boqvist has a $1.5 million hit. Markstrom has two years left on his deal at $6 million per season.
Markstrom posted a 23-19-1 record with one shutout in 44 games for the Devils in 2025-26. The 6-foot-6, 207-pound native of Gavle, Sweden has compiled a 264-231-64 record over 578 career NHL games with New Jersey, the Calgary Flames, the Vancouver Canucks and Florida. Since the 2019-20 season, Markstrom ranks tied for fourth among NHL goaltenders in games played with 349, fourth in time on ice at 20,424 minutes and 38 seconds, and tied for fifth in shutouts with 22.
The Panthers originally selected Markstrom in the second round, 31st overall, of the 2008 NHL Draft — a pick made by then-coach Jacques Martin in Montreal. He spent parts of four seasons with the organization, splitting time between the NHL and AHL, before Florida included him in the blockbuster 2014 trade that brought Roberto Luongo back to the Panthers. Luongo, now the club’s goaltending director, will oversee Markstrom’s return, Florida Hockey Now reported.
Markstrom was named a Vezina Trophy finalist in 2021-22 after posting a .922 save percentage and a league-leading nine shutouts with Calgary, finishing with a 37-15-9 record. He was named to the 2020 NHL All-Star Game and the 2022 NHL Second All-Star Team, and he has produced nine consecutive campaigns with at least 20 wins. In 31 career Stanley Cup Playoff games across three franchises, Markstrom has logged a .911 save percentage and two shutouts. He also backstopped Sweden at the 2026 Olympic Winter Games in Milano Cortina, posting a 2-1-0 record with a .936 save percentage and 1.97 goals against average.
Crookshank, 26, adds forward depth after leading the AHL’s Utica Comets with 24 goals and ranking second in points with 36 in 60 games in 2025-26. The 5-foot-10, 183-pound native of North Vancouver, British Columbia has appeared in 29 NHL games across three seasons with the Ottawa Senators and New Jersey, posting five points. He was originally selected by Ottawa in the fifth round, 126th overall, of the 2018 NHL Draft.
The Panthers also acquired backup goaltender Akira Schmid from the Vegas Golden Knights in a separate deal earlier this week. New Jersey general manager Sunny Mehta, who spent six years with the Panthers organization, executed the trade from the Devils’ side. Panthers Development Camp runs this week at the IcePlex in Fort Lauderdale, with preseason play set to begin Sept. 20 against the Carolina Hurricanes and the 2026-27 NHL season opening in late September.