Goaltender Jacob Markstrom dropped an honest bombshell directed at Calgary Flames management on Friday.
"I think it could have been handled a lot different from up top," Markstrom said when asked by Sportsnet's Eric Francis about the constant trade rumours surrounding his name.
One day later, we appear to have some clarity on what exactly the goaltender is so angry about.
According to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman, Markstrom is upset that the team's trade plans for him suddenly changed.
"I believe he's upset that the Flames went to him and told him about the possibility of a deal with New Jersey," Friedman said on Hockey Night in Canada's Saturday Headlines. "He indicated he would be willing to consider going there. And then the plans changed.
"That deal obviously never happened. Then at some point Markstrom was informed that the Flames preferred to keep him because he was playing great and the team was going well."
Friedman made it clear that he's not speaking directly for the goaltender, but he believes that's what made Markstrom make the pointed comment.
"I think that bothered him; I think his feelings were hurt," Friedman said. "I'm not speaking for him, but I'm under the impression because he was told he could go, he kind of wishes he was never told at all if the plan was not to trade."
The other piece of news to come out of this is that Friedman believes that the Devils have made Markstrom their top trade target, and that if it doesn't happen before the deadline, they are prepared to wait into the summer to revisit a deal for the Swedish netminder.
The veteran goaltender has a no-move clause through to the end of his contract, so his future is largely in his hands — he needs to waive that clause in order for the Flames to be able to make a trade.
Markstrom has been playing some of his best hockey of late, and is a big reason why the Flames are on the fringes of the wild-card race.
You can watch Markstrom and the Flames take on Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins live on Sportsnet and Sportsnet+ on Saturday night at 10 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. PT.
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