Confirmed with Link: (G) J. Markstrom (30% retention) traded to NJ for (D) Kevin Bahl, 2025 1st rd pick (Top 10 protected)

[Blackjack]

what about Nico, Bratt, and Meier? All guys who will be 30 or close to it by the time this 17 year old that we would hypothetically draft next year would make an NHL impact.

They would still be good players, albeit past their primes. Like Markstrom is now.

 

[NJDevs26]

That's probably the best scenario now like the best scenario in '23 was for the team to suck so they could get rid of Lindy

Getting rid of Lindy for Travis Green certainly did NOT help lol...only lucking into Keefe after the season (when he wasn't on the market after Lindy was fired) did.

 

[13BearerOfHope]

I find this a HORRIBLE trade. He will be close to 35 when the Season starts, under no circumstance would I give up any assets for such a high risk (of injury ) and low number of expected years of service player.

Trading Bratt for Saros would have been better, any big asset for big asset would have been ok. This is just asset for close to nothing in my view

 

[Blackjack]

Getting rid of Lindy for Travis Green certainly did NOT help lol...only lucking into Keefe after the season (when he wasn't on the market after Lindy was fired) did.

We would've had Brunette

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

I find this a HORRIBLE trade. He will be close to 35 when the Season starts, under no circumstance would I give up any assets for such a high risk (of injury ) and low number of expected years of service player.

Trading Bratt for Saros would have been better, any big asset for big asset would have been ok. This is just asset for close to nothing in my view

LOL

have a great day man

 

[Unknown Caller]

I find this a HORRIBLE trade. He will be close to 35 when the Season starts, under no circumstance would I give up any assets for such a high risk (of injury ) and low number of expected years of service player.

Trading Bratt for Saros would have been better, any big asset for big asset would have been ok. This is just asset for close to nothing in my view

Should have expected to see stuff like this when I checked in. Lmao.

 

[Blackjack]

LOL

have a great day man

Bratt for Saros is stupid, but I'd much rather give up a major asset like 10OA for Saros than this deal. It's a moot point because Saros wasn't on the market though.

 

[Lindys Lazy Eye]

I find this a HORRIBLE trade. He will be close to 35 when the Season starts, under no circumstance would I give up any assets for such a high risk (of injury ) and low number of expected years of service player.

Trading Bratt for Saros would have been better, any big asset for big asset would have been ok. This is just asset for close to nothing in my view

Okay that's too much in the other direction.

 

[NJDevs26]

I find this a HORRIBLE trade. He will be close to 35 when the Season starts, under no circumstance would I give up any assets for such a high risk (of injury ) and low number of expected years of service player.

Trading Bratt for Saros would have been better, any big asset for big asset would have been ok. This is just asset for close to nothing in my view

No it wouldn't, Bratt is an actual top line player. If Saros busts you not only have the bust but lose a top line player, and you might have to sign him to a deal once you trade for him to boot. If Markstrom busts, you lose a depth d-man who'll be passed in short order by other guys in the farm and a pick that's a question mark at most and you try again with the net youth movement in a year or two.

 

[Unknown Caller]

Bratt for Saros is stupid, but I'd much rather give up a major asset like 10OA for Saros than this deal. It's a moot point because Saros wasn't on the market though.

Yeah I’m out on giving Saros $9M+ for 7+ years and losing 10th overall plus for him.

This place is on drugs.

 

[Forge]

You put a 6'5 defender on the PK and all lanes get a helluva lot smaller. It's a huge advantage.

Sure, it can be.

But if you also just kind of suck the upside it provides may be negated. Ultimately, Bahl is what he is. There is more than one way to skin a cat, just as there's more than one way to be a third pairing defenseman. Bahl is a third pairing dman one way, Kevin Shattenkirk is a third pairing dman in a different way.

 

[Unknown Caller]

Kevin Bahl was not good. Literally all you can say about the guy is that he was physically big. And he didn’t even play big.

 

[NJDevs26]

We would've had Brunette

You or whoever it was said we needed to lose to get rid of Lindy, we did...Brunette was not available then.

 

[Blackjack]

Yeah I’m out on giving Saros $9M+ for 7+ years and losing 10th overall plus for him.

This place is on drugs.

Meh, forgot he was a pending UFA. Point is that he's actually an elite goaltender. So 10OA for a pretend version of Saros that was signed to a decent deal for 3-4 years.

 

[devilsblood]

Ask yourself this. Is Markstrom that much of an upgrade on Kahkonen that we had to give up any tangible assets at all?

I'd argue no time and time again.

Consider Markstrom played 48 games last year. 59 the year before. 63 the year before that. Kahk has never played more then 37 games in a season.

So from that standpoint, Markstrom is much less of a question mark.

I'd probably rather have Markstrom and Kahk, as opposed to Markstrom Allen though.

 

[StevenToddIves]

Haha, I thought this trade was pretty hilarious. Would be funnier if I were a Calgary fan. But yes, New Jersey will be incrementally better in goal for one season, maybe even two. The playoff chances for 2025 are certainly higher, and that's clearly Fitzgerald's goal here.

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

Markstrom and Allen were in the same draft class in 2008. Picked 3 picks apart.

 

[Forge]

Bratt for Saros is stupid, but I'd much rather give up a major asset like 10OA for Saros than this deal. It's a moot point because Saros wasn't on the market though.

Tough one for me because Saros on an extension does concern me. That extension is going to be big and his style of play is extremely reliant on the athleticism he has which will drop if he ages. I was worried about Helle dropping off when the conversation about him last year was going on and I'll say straight off that I'm a lot more bullish on Helle aging well than Saros.

But I don't think Saros is going away any time soon or anything. We could be talking about a drop off that happens 4 years into an extension. So I would definitely understand a big push for Saros if he had been available.

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

Bratt for Saros is stupid, but I'd much rather give up a major asset like 10OA for Saros than this deal. It's a moot point because Saros wasn't on the market though.

Not sure how you can be mad about giving up the 1st in a draft we shouldn't expect to pick high in and then say give up the 10th for Saros who's probably the worst fit for this team considering he had a negative xGSAA on a good defensive team in Nashville and then moan about Markstrom in the same token when he's an elite 5v5 goalie with a positive xGSAA and checks the boxes that this team likes and not to mention, Saros needs a massive contract in the whole thing.

 

[Blackjack]

You or whoever it was said we needed to lose to get rid of Lindy, we did...Brunette was not available then.

Brunette was not available in 22-23? What was he, too busy falling out of golf carts?

 

[AfroThunder396]

The Panthers lost in the 1st round with Brunette, then they let him go and have gone to back-to-back Cup Finals without him.

Can we please stop mythologizing this guy like he's Scotty Bowman.

 

[MartyOwns]

Kevin Bahl was not good. Literally all you can say about the guy is that he was physically big. And he didn’t even play big.

a bit of revisionist history here. he was good in the role he was in, and would have excelled under keefe imo.

 

[NJDevs26]

Brunette was not available in 22-23? What was he, too busy falling out of golf carts?

So you would rather have not made the playoffs yet again just to have Brunette (who you guys all credited for the good season anyway) instead of having one good year, eating it then getting Keefe? Honestly they got the best of both worlds, they got back to the playoffs AND an upgrade as coach, I don’t see why anyone is STILL looking back

 

[Unknown Caller]

a bit of revisionist history here. he was good in the role he was in, and would have excelled under keefe imo.

No he wasn’t. A guy like Colin Miller was way better in the same role. You can easily find a better 3rd pairing fit at a minimal cost.

 

[bigd]

I like this trade, but we will have to be aggressive in the free agent market for defenseman.