Panthers acquire Markstrom and Crookshank
The Florida Panthers have completed a trade with the New Jersey Devils, acquiring goaltender Jacob Markstrom and winger Angus Crookshank. In exchange, the Devils received forward Evan Rodrigues, forward Jesper Boqvist, and the rights to restricted free agent Ben Steeves. This move follows the Panthers’ acquisition of goalie Akira Schmid from the Vegas Golden Knights on Monday for a 2028 third-round pick.
Bill Zito, the Panthers’ general manager, expressed enthusiasm for the acquisition, stating that Markstrom is an established veteran leader known for his size and drive to win. Zito added that the team is looking forward to Markstrom competing alongside their current group and returning to South Florida.
Markstrom, a veteran at 36, was originally a 2008 second-round pick by the Panthers and played 43 games for the club before being traded to Vancouver. He is currently under a two-year contract with an annual salary cap hit of $6 million, a deal originally signed by former Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald. The Panthers are now responsible for both years of this contract.
Impact on team rosters
The trade for Markstrom and Schmid signals a significant change for the Panthers’ goaltending situation, likely indicating the end of Sergei Bobrovsky’s tenure with the team. Bobrovsky, 37, was instrumental in the Panthers winning consecutive Stanley Cup championships in 2024 and 2025, and reaching the final in 2023.
For the Devils, this transaction marks a notable roster shakeup under new general manager Sunny Mehta. New Jersey now has Jake Allen in net and is expected to seek another goalie in free agency. Allen recorded a .903 save percentage in 2025-26 but has not started more than 40 games since 2022-23.
Rodrigues, who will turn 33 on July 28, is expected to bolster the Devils’ top-nine forward group. He has consistently posted at least 11 goals and 31 points in each of the last four seasons, including three with Florida and one with Colorado. Rodrigues averaged 0.47 points per game, equating to 38.5 points over 82 games. The Panthers shed his salary, which was just over $3 million, after acquiring Brady Tkachuk from Ottawa to play with his brother Matthew.
Boqvist, a bottom-six forward, scored four goals in 73 games for the Panthers during the 2025-26 season. He was part of Florida’s 2025 Cup team as a fourth-liner and accumulated 36 points in 151 games over the past two seasons with the Panthers. Steeves, 24, spent the season with AHL Charlotte, where he recorded 45 points and 100 penalty minutes in 72 games. Crookshank, also from the minors, notched 24 goals in 60 games for AHL Utica.
Markstrom’s recent performance
Markstrom’s career save percentage stands at .907. His time with the Devils concluded with an .892 save percentage. He was the team’s starting goalie when they made the playoffs in 2025, where he achieved a .911 save percentage in a first-round loss to Carolina.
However, Markstrom is coming off a challenging year in New Jersey, where he posted a 23-19-1 record with an .883 save percentage, his lowest since 2014-15. This save percentage also ranked 82nd in the league with -11.37 goals saved above expected. The Panthers are hoping that playing behind a more defensively sound team will help him rebound.
The Devils acquired Markstrom in the summer of 2024. Mehta, who was an assistant general manager with Florida before joining the Devils, is familiar with both Rodrigues and Boqvist. New Jersey now has $12.97 million in projected cap space, according to PuckPedia, and could look to further improve their forward group.
In other league news, the St. Louis Blues placed winger Jonathan Drouin on unconditional waivers to buy out the final season of his contract. The Blues had acquired Drouin at the trade deadline from the New York Islanders as part of the return for Brayden Schenn.
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Source: sports.yahoo.com
Mason Reed
Sports reporter covering football, basketball and international competitions.