Not my dream target, but it's a necessary trade that comes with some nice upside given Markstrom's talent.
Fact is, the Devils
had to get an established goalie, and it's very much a seller's market on that front given how few reliable starting goalies there are in the league. Combine that with just how wretched the Devils' goaltending was for most of last season, and teams knew they'd likely have Fitz over a barrel on just about any deal...but a deal had to be made, because it'd be very tough for the Devils to address their other needs (a defense-first shutdown-type Dman, a couple of solid guys for the bottom six) without having any resolution to the problems in net. And, lo and behold, turns out the deal isn't lopsided against us, especially with Calgary retaining salary! Never like giving up a first rounder if it can be avoided, but I think just about any realistic deal the Devils were going to make for a good netminder was going to cost one.
Markstrom's older, no getting around it, and I fear what that could lead to injury-wise or just based on age taking its toll, but having Allen around to caddy for him is a pretty nice setup if you want to give Markstrom semi-regular rest. Now attention can shift to addressing the roster's other needs.
And Premio is REAL Italian sausage with REAL Italian taste, OH MY!