Vancouver Canucks part ways with Jacob Markstrom
Posted October 9, 2020 1:17 pm.
Last Updated October 9, 2020 6:25 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) — The Vancouver Canucks and Jacob Markstrom parted ways Friday, but the NHL team added a former Vezina Trophy winner in his place.
Markstrom — voted the Canucks’ most valuable player each of the past two seasons — signed with the Calgary Flames for six years at $6 million a season.
He recorded a .918 save percentage in 42 games with the Canucks this past season, winning 23 while posting a goals-against-average of 2.75 with two shutouts.
The 30-year-old Gavle, Sweden native replaces Cam Talbot in the Calgary net. Talbot signed with the Minnesota Wild earlier in the day.
Markstrom was widely considered the top goalie available on the unrestricted free-agent market. His play the past few years priced him out of Vancouver, and with the emergence of Thatcher Demko, plus the impending Seattle expansion draft, made the prospect of signing him long-term tricky.
To fill the void left by Markstrom, the Canucks signed former Washington Capitals goalie and Stanley Cup winner Braden Holtby, 31, for two years at $4.3 million a season.
Holtby made $6.1 million in 2019-20, when he went 25-14-6 with a .897 save percentage.
Sportnet’s Satir Shaw said some believe is Holtby can regain his old form under the tutelage of Canucks’ goaltending coach Iain Clark.
Holtby won the Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s top goaltender in 2016, when he tied a league record with 48 wins and had a .922 save percentage.
“We are pleased to add Braden, an experienced and established goaltender, to our roster,” Canucks GM Jim Benning said in a release.
“Braden is a Stanley Cup champion, brings leadership and has demonstrated the ability to rise to the occasion in big games. He will be an important part of our team.”
Over the course of his 10-year career, Holtby has registered 35 shutouts, a record of 282-122-46, and a goals-against-average of 2.54.
The Lloydminster, Sask. native has also played in 97 playoff games, going 50-46 with a save percentage of .926 and seven shutouts. In 2018, Holtby backstopped the Capitals to their first Stanley Cup championship.
Holtby, a five-time NHL All-Star, also represented Team Canada at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey, winning gold.
The 6’2″, 214-pound goalkeeper was originally selected by the Capitals in the fourth round, 93rd overall in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft.
Markstrom, 6’6” and 206 pounds, was selected in the second round, 31st overall in the 2008 NHL Entry Draft by the Florida Panthers. He was traded to the Canucks as part of the Robert Luongo trade in March 2014.
The Canucks also announced the resigning of forward Tyler Motte, 25, for two years at $1.225 million a season.
Motte, 25, had eight points in 34 games this past regular season, then added four goals in 17 playoffs games, including two in a come-from-behind win against the St. Louis Blues.
Motte came to the Canucks in a trade with the Columbus Blue Jackets in 2018 and is a key penalty killer.
