NHL trade deadline: 8 players who could shake up the market — if they’re

Goalie trades are few and far between midseason in the NHL. Usually, netminders need time to adapt to their new surroundings, the team in front of them, and the coaching staff, so the best time for movement at the position can be the offseason. Over the last five years, there have only been 14 trades featuring NHL-caliber goalies during the season. 

But this season seems ripe for a goalie trade, considering how many teams have suffered through injuries or outright poor netminding. Jake Allen is a prime trade candidate for a team looking for extra depth. But what if the trade market gains a big name like Jacob Markström?

That’s what makes him a wild card heading into this year’s trade deadline. Markström will become a top option if he is available, and that will have a ripple effect on both the trade board and the Western Conference playoff picture. 

Along with Markström, here are some of the biggest wild cards of the 2024 trade deadline. 

Jacob Markström, Calgary Flames

Markström is having a fantastic season in Calgary, despite facing one of his most challenging workloads yet. According to Natural Stat Trick, he has saved almost 24 goals above expected. While there are some differences between models on that number, Natural Stat Trick, Evolving-Hockey and MoneyPuck all have him in the top five in the league. 

So the Flames would be selling high on Markström if they were to move the 34-year-old old who has another two seasons on his contract and a full no-movement clause. The big “if” is whether the Flames are even willing to move him with the playoffs still within reach, and if they can find a trade partner the player is also on board with. If that happens, it would more or less signal the Flames waving the white flag in the playoff race.

Markström isn’t just a leaguewide wild card, but one for Calgary. Sure, management could wait until this summer to make a move since he is not on an expiring contract. But offering three playoff runs to an acquiring team could be a huge opportunity for the Flames to bring back a haul, which will thread the needle in a necessary retooling process.

Jake Guentzel, Pittsburgh Penguins

Like the Flames, the Penguins are outside of a playoff spot. But Pittsburgh isn’t out of the mix just yet. So how the team proceeds with Jake Guentzel likely depends on those playoff odds. The better the Penguins’ chances of reaching the playoffs, the less likely it is they move on from their top winger. But the 2023-24 outlook could change depending on how these next few weeks unfold. 

A retool is unlikely as long as Sidney Crosby is still playing MVP-caliber hockey. But if management recognizes the team’s playoff hopes are all but done this season and there is no possibility of retaining the pending unrestricted free agent, Guentzel could hit the trade market. The latter is key here because even if the Penguins fall out of this year’s race, retaining the winger only elevates their odds of…