Jacob Markstrom appears to have found himself a home.
After just one season with the New Jersey Devils, both Markstrom and the organization have loved the fit and are hoping to have it continue for the foreseeable future.
The star netminder was, of course, acquired last offseason in a blockbuster trade with the Flames that sent Kevin Bahl and a 2025 first-round pick back to Calgary. While Markstrom didn’t have his best year debuting as a Devil, he provided the stability as a number-one goalie that they had been seeking for years.
Because of that, the team is prioritizing extending him as he heads into a contract year in 2025-26. General manager Tom Fitzgerald recently spoke about Markstrom and their desire to work out a deal that keeps him in New Jersey for years to come. Beat reporter James Nichols shared his comments in an article for New Jersey Hockey Now.
“Jacob Markstrom is another one that wanted to be here in New Jersey. He chose us. I was able to get a deal done a year and a half ago, and we’re talking right now on extending Jacob. We would love nothing but for him and Amanda and their family to be here beyond this year. And he knows our love for him and his love for this area,” Fitzgerald said.
Makes perfect sense.#NJDevils, Jacob Markstrom ‘Talking’ Extensionhttps://t.co/LlZtJm1THk
— James Nichols (@JamesNicholsNHL) September 18, 2025
The 35-year-old is entering the final season of the six-year, $36 million contract he signed to join the Flames as a UFA back in 2020.
Expect an even better Markstrom in 2025-26
While Jacob Markstrom was solid last season, the numbers weren’t quite up to the all-star-level standards he’s set in recent years, as he went 26-16-6 with a 2.50 goals-against average, a .900 save percentage, and four shutouts on the campaign.
Now that he’ll enter 2025-26 with a full year in New Jersey under his belt, you have to expect that Markstrom will feel that much more comfortable and return to the Vezina Trophy caliber that he’s shown in the past.
If he does so, then the New Jersey Devils will be a force to be reckoned with in not only the Metropolitan Division but the Eastern Conference as a whole.
