Off-Season Watch: Sens in on Markstrom, Leafs linked to Brossoit
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While the Stanley Cup Final continues, the NHL's off-season is rapidly approaching with the NHL Draft starting on June 28 and Free Agent Frenzy on July 1. TSN.ca keeps you up to date with all the latest rumours and speculation from around the NHL beat.
Senators in on Markstrom
The Ottawa Senators have been “one of the most aggressive teams” in the pursuit of Calgary Flames goaltender Jacob Markstrom, Bruce Garrioch of Postmedia reports.
Garrioch writes that Senators president and general manager Steve Staios has been working the phones in pursuit of an upgrade at goaltender and has also held talks with the Boston Bruins on netminder Linus Ullmark. He adds that the New Jersey Devils remain the frontrunner to land Markstrom, but the Senators have held multiple discussions with the Flames on a possible trade.
Bringing a goaltender such as Markstrom, who's signed through 2025-26 at a $6 million cap hit, would also require the Senators to move a goalie out. Garrioch notes that will be a tough task for the Senators, who have Joonas Korpisalo, signed at a $4 million cap hit through 2027-28, and Anton Forsberg, entering the last year of his deal at a $2.75 million cap hit, under contract for next season at goaltender. Both struggled last season, with Korpisalo finishing with a .890 save percentage in his first year after a inking a five-year contract in free agency.
Markstrom, who was tied to the Devils in trade speculation leading up to the trade deadline, finished this season with a 23-23-2 record with a .905 save percentage and a 2.78 goals-against average. He posted a career-best .922 save percentage in 2021-22 before experiencing a significant dip with a .892 mark last year.
Garrioch reports the Senators, Los Angeles Kings and Devils were among the teams show interest in Ullmark leading into the deadline, with the Bruins ultimately electing to keep their goalie tandem intact. With Jeremy Swayman in need of a new deal as a restricted free agent this summer, Ullmark, who's signed through next season at a $5 million cap hit, appears to be on the trade block.
Ullmark, 30, went 22-10-7 with the Bruins this season, posting a .915 save percentage and a 2.55 goals-against average. He appeared in just two games for Boston during the postseason, going 0-1 with a 3.90 GAA and a .886 save percentage.
Citing a league executive, Garrioch writes the Senators would likely have to offer defenceman Jakob Chychrun, a first-round pick and an additional draft pick to pry Ullmark from Boston, though his 15-team no-trade could wind up taking them out of the running.
The Senators hold their own pick at No. 7 overall in this month's draft and the Bruins' first-rounder at No. 25 overall, which was acquired from the Detroit Red Wings last summer.
Leafs linked to Brossoit?
James Mirtle of The Athletic reports that there's believed to be "mutual interest" between the Toronto Maple Leafs and pending unrestricted free agent Laurent Brossoit ahead of July 1.
Mirtle believes a short-term deal with Brossoit would cost the Maple Leafs around $3 million per season to share the net with Joseph Woll as the team turns the page on Ilya Samsonov,
Brossoit went 15-5-2 this season with the Winnipeg Jets, finishing the campaign with a .927 save percentage and a 2.00 goals-against average. He returned to Winnipeg in free agency last summer on a one-year, $1.75 million contract after spending the previous two seasons with the Vegas Golden Knights.
The 31-year-old netminder has a career record of 64-46-13 over 141 NHL games with the Edmonton Oilers, Jets and Golden Knights.
Mirtle also points to Florida Panthers backup goaltender Anthony Stolarz as a possible option for the Maple Leafs in free agency. The 30-year-old went 16-7-2 this season with a .925 save percentage and a 2.03 GAA whole playing on a one-year, $1.1 million deal.
With Samsonov and Matt Murray, who spent the season on long-term injured reserve, slated for unrestricted free agency, Woll is currently Toronto's only goaltender under contract for next season. The 25-year-old is set to carry a cap hit of $766,667 ahead of restricted free agency next summer.
Latest on Ehlers, Canucks
TSN Hockey Insider Darren Dreger joined SC with Jay Onrait Monday to discuss multiple topics as the NHL off-season starts to heat up.
Dreger reports that Nikolaj Ehlers' name has been "out there" in trade talks for the Winnipeg Jets, but he adds that moving the forward is not a front-burner topic for Jets management. Ehlers, 28, is signed through next season at a cap hit of $6 million ahead of reaching unrestricted free agency. He posted 25 goals and 61 points in 82 games this season, topping the 20-goal mark for the seventh time in the past eight seasons. Dreger notes that moving Ehlers, could create more cap space for the Jets to bring back pending UFA Sean Monahan, as well as make other moves.
On the Vancouver Canucks, Dreger reports it appears unlikely the team will be able to re-sign both Nikita Zadorov and Tyler Myers on their blueline. He adds there's been preliminary discussions with Elias Lindholm, but a thin centre market could lead the 29-year-old to test unrestricted free agency.
Watch Dreger's breakdown on those topics and more including the Ottawa Senators' goalie search, Martin Necas and the restricted free agent market, as well as the Carolina Hurricanes' general manager search.