Quoting: Lancebmx
First of all, Timmins was never a top prospect and at the time of the trade, was just a throw in. For the same argument you gave as Boucher, hasn't done anything and couldn't stay healthy.
I agree, Markstrom is a bonafide starter, but for how many now years? Age of definitely a factor. Will he be able to start 60 games still? He only has twice in the last five years, I'm counting the 59 game season. Will he be able to keep up his 'elite ' level of play this season and next while playing that many games? Well it start to catch up to him, like it did last year and parts of this year? The fact he has an extra year could work against him if he does in fact fall off. I wouldn't expect him to but it's possible. Also how many goalies do you see playing at an elite level in their mid to late thirties? Not very many. The fact you are saying forget about his age you are paying for him now, you are also paying for him next season too.
Yes flames don't want korpi, that proposal was horrible from the get go.
If he gives a list of teams to Conroy, says they all need a starter? At the point of his career he probably wants a contender. Teams like Florida again, Rangers and Bruins could be on that list just as easily as Ottawa, Jersey and Detroit. Then how desperate are those teams, if it was one of the three needing I mentioned, who says they are willing to pay an arm and leg for him. I see the best fits for him as Jersey and Toronto, that doesn't make much of a bidding war. Also what's stopping someone like Jersey and just saying eff it and going and getting Ullmark for two seconds or Casey and a second?
You got a whole lot of ifs & buts in there, which is applicable to any goalie or player for that matter , regardless of age lol. That’s the risk you take when signing or acquiring a player, but you make that decision on what they’ve done and are rated at recently and what you think/hope they will continue to do for as long as you have or keep them
Markstrom is arguably better than Ullmark who played on a much better team with a far better defensive corps in front of him. Ullmark might not like the idea of playing in NJ given the lack of support he would have in front of him. It’s arguably why the Goalies had didn’t succeed there. He could get absolutely eaten up there, but if they can grab him, perhaps they should. It’ll cost more than what you’re saying to get him though and do you sign him to a fat juicy contract extension right away now not knowing or do you wait and potentially lose him to free agency should we decide not to stay? What if you give him term and he falls off and sucks as a Devil and you’ve given him $6.5-8mil/yr and/or a NMC so can’t move him ? See that argument goes both ways dude and it’s exactly what happens when you try signing a backup too like DET did with Husso and OTT did with Korpisalo, so yeah, there are other & cheaper options that are just as risky and has tons of unknowns. There’s no guarantees with anything when it come to business and people
Timmins was definitely considered a Quality Prospect at the time and had produced significantly before losing a year to injury/concussions. ARI likely either wasn’t aware or was banking on him recovering, which unfortunately didn’t happen
Yes, Markstrom can play 60+ games. He was dealing with a groin injury in VAN, then there was the shortened 56 game season and last year he took time off to be with his wife for the birth of their first child and this year he was dealing with a nagging lower body and/or hand injury and towards the end was disgruntled with ownership and the loss of Lindholm, Hanifin & Tanev, but mainly we we wanted to get Vladar in to build his value back up and Wolf in to see more game action, so everything’s explainable
Using FLA, BOA & NYR is laughable. None of those Teams need a Goalie and Markstrom is smart enough to realize that. The Teams he should consider joining are NJD, OTT, TOR, LAK, DET, COL and maybe but low chance probabilities of CAR (Andersen has blood clotting issues and doesn’t typically value Goalie Trades), VAN (were they to move Demko because he let them down and wasn’t available due to injury) or EDM (same thing, Skinner let them down and they want a better Goalie for the playoffs).
So there’s 6+ Teams looking for a True 1A and only one Markström, one Ullmark and one Saros (who I don’t think gets moved yet this off-season). That’s enough of a market for Markstrom’s services and then if you add retention + sweeteners, it’s enough to get and justify a quality return, like a 7-15th Overall Pick OR a Late Pick + Top Prospect