Panthers trade for Devils' Jacob Markstrom to solidify goalie plans

Jordan McPherson, Miami Herald on Jun 30, 2026

Published in Hockey

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MIAMI — The Florida Panthers have their starting goaltender for the 2026-27 season.

And he's a blast from the past.

The Panthers on Tuesday, one day before the start of free agency, traded for Jacob Markstrom and forward Angus Crookshank from the New Jersey Devils in exchange for forwards Evan Rodrigues and Jesper Boqvist plus prospect Ben Steeves.

“Jacob is an established veteran leader in this league who possesses size and a relentless drive to win,” Panthers president of hockey operations and general manager Bill Zito said in a press release announcing the trade. “We are excited for him to compete alongside our established group and return to South Florida.”

Markstrom, 36, was a former second-round pick of the Panthers’, selected No. 31 overall in the 2008 draft. However, he played only 43 games across four seasons with the Panthers, compiling an 11-25-5 record with a 3.21 goals against average and .898 during his stint with Florida.

His 16-year career has since taken him to the Vancouver Canucks (sent there in the deal that brought Roberto Luongo back to the Panthers), Calgary Flames and most recently the Devils.

For his career, Markstrom has played in 578 games (560 starts). He has a 264-231-64 record, a 2.73 goals against average and .907 save percentage. He has recorded 25 shutouts.

Markstrom is set to start a two-year deal with an annual cap hit of $6 million. Crookshank is in the second year of a deal with an $850,000 cap hit if he’s on the NHL roster. The Athletic’s Pierre LeBrun reported the Devils are not retaining any of Markstrom’s salary, putting Florida on the hook for all of it.

The Panthers entered Tuesday about $5.8 million under the NHL’s $104 million salary cap for the 2026-27 season. Dealing Rodrigues and Boqvist gets them back $4.57 million.

Florida is now $3.59 million under the salary cap if counting Crookshank’s salary and $4.44 million if not including his salary. That, however, does not include salary for goaltender Arkin Schmid, who Florida acquired from the Vegas Golden Knights on Monday night to be their backup netminder. Nor does it include the potential salary for Radko Gudas after Florida obtained his negotiating rights on Monday.

The trades for Markstrom and Schmid all but assuredly put an end to any chance of the Panthers retaining Sergei Bobrovsky, who is slated to become a free agent when the market opens at noon Wednesday. Bobrovsky, who will be 38 at the start of the 2026-27 season, posted a 201-113-21 regular-season record in his seven seasons with the Panthers along with a 2.80 goals against average and .903 save percentage. He backstopped Florida to three consecutive Stanley Cup Finals and back-to-back championships in 2024 and 2025 while also being a Vezina Trophy finalist in 2024.

As for Rodrigues and Boqvist, both were part of Florida’s runs to championships.

Rodrigues spent the past three seasons with the Panthers, logging 102 points (38 goals, 64 assists) over 231 games. He produced 30 points over the Panthers’ two Stanley Cup championship runs in 2024 and 2025.

Boqvist, meanwhile, spent the past two seasons with Florida, scoring 36 points (16 goals, 20 assists) in 151 games.

But Rodrigues and Boqvist (and their salaries) became expendable after the Panthers traded for forwards Brady Tkachuk and Garnet Hathaway last week. Tkachuk’s signing essentially locked up Florida’s projected top three forward lines with Aleksander Barkov, Sam Bennett and Anton Lundell at center and the Tkachuk brothers (Brady and Matthew), Sam Reinhart, Carter Verhaeghe, Brad Marchand and Eetu Luostarinen the wingers.

Hathaway should be one of the fourth-line wingers. Florida also has Cole Reinhardt, Jonah Gadjovich and Crookshank under contract for next season to round out their forward group in addition to prospect Sandis Vilmanis. Florida will likely pursue a veteran center for the fourth line when free agency opens at noon Wednesday.

“We also want to extend our sincere gratitude to Evan and Jesper for their contributions to our organization,” Zito said.