Jacob Markstrom is headed to Florida after the Panthers acquired the 31-year-old goaltender from the New Jersey Devils. The deal kicks off Florida’s next chapter in goal while Sergei Bobrovsky is expected to test the free-agent market.
Jacob Markstrom didn’t wait for the next chapter—he’s already in it.
The Panthers have acquired the 31-year-old goaltender from the New Jersey Devils. bringing a proven NHL presence into Florida’s crease just as the team’s offseason plans take shape. Markstrom posted a 3.07 goals-against average and an .883 save percentage in 44 games this past season. He spent the last two seasons with the Devils after being traded to New Jersey by the Calgary Flames in June 2024.
This time, the contract detail feels like the kind of compromise teams build when they’re chasing stability. Markstrom will enter the first of a two-year deal with a $6-million cap hit. His previous contract included a full no-movement clause. but his new one has a 20-team no-trade list in the first year and a five-team no-trade list in the second.
Florida’s urgency at the position isn’t hidden. The Panthers were looking for a new starter with Sergei Bobrovsky expected to test the free-agent market. Bobrovsky turns 38 in September. and Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos said Bobrovsky could seek a new contract “as high as $42 million over six or seven years.”.
Markstrom’s return also carries a familiar pull for Florida. He drafted him in the second round in 2008—an early stop in a career that has now come full circle. Markstrom played parts of four seasons with Florida before a trade to the Vancouver Canucks. Over 578 career NHL games with the Devils, Flames, Canucks and Panthers, Markstrom owns a 2.73 goals-against average and a .907 save percentage.
The swap doesn’t stop at the crease. Florida will also receive Crookshank, a 26-year-old centre who scored once in eight games with the Devils last season. Crookshank previously played 21 games over two seasons with the Ottawa Senators.
New Jersey, for its part, takes players shaped by Florida’s winning run and recent depth-building. Rodrigues has spent the past three seasons with the Panthers and helped the team win back-to-back Stanley Cups. The 32-year-old recorded 11 goals and 31 points in 69 games last season.
Boqvist, 27, was with Florida the past two seasons, scoring 16 goals and adding 20 assists over 151 games. He also contributed during the playoffs, adding two goals and three assists over 13 post-season appearances during the Panthers’ 2025 Stanley Cup run.
Steeves, a 24-year-old forward, has yet to make his NHL debut. He had 23 goals and 22 assists in 77 games with the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers last season.
Earlier this week, Florida also acquired Akira Schmid from the Vegas Golden Knights to revamp their goaltending depth, reinforcing that this isn’t a wait-and-see plan.
For the Devils, the Markstrom deal marks the first trade made by general manager Sunny Mehta with his former team since being hired in April.
What’s left now is the most immediate question for Florida: whether the decision to secure Markstrom as Bobrovsky weighs free agency will lock in the steady goaltending the Panthers want as they move forward from their championship seasons.
Jacob Markstrom Panthers New Jersey Devils Sergei Bobrovsky Sunny Mehta NHL trade Crookshank Rodrigues Boqvist Steeves Akira Schmid