Panthers acquire goalie Markstrom from Devils in 5-player dealGreg WyshynskiJun 30, 2026, 01:01 PM ETClose
- Greg Wyshynski is ESPN’s senior NHL writer.
The Florida Panthers have acquired New Jersey Devils goaltender Jacob Markstrom, allowing two-time Stanley Cup winner Sergei Bobrovsky to hit the free agent market.
The Panthers sent forwards Evan Rodrigues, Jesper Boqvist and Ben Steeves to the Devils for Markstrom and center Angus Crookshank, the team unveiled
Markstrom, 36, is starting a new two-year contract that was given to him by former Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald last November, carrying a $6 million cap hit. It was a controversial extension in New Jersey, as Markstrom went on to post his worst numbers since 2014 with an .883 save percentage. He was 23-19-1 for the Devils with a 3.07 goals-against average.
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Markstrom was originally drafted by the Panthers in 2008 (31st overall) and played his first four NHL seasons with Florida. He was sent to the Vancouver Canucks in 2014 in a trade that saw Roberto Luongo come to the Panthers. Luongo is currently a special adviser to Florida GM Bill Zito, focusing on goaltending.
“Jacob is an established veteran leader in this league who possesses size and a relentless drive to win,” Panthers general manager Bill Zito mentioned in a statement. “We are excited for him to compete alongside our established group and return to South Florida.”
The Panthers also acquired restricted free agent goalie Akira Schmid — also a former Devil — from the Vegas Golden Knights this week.
These moves likely mean the end of Bobrovsky’s time with the Panthers. The two-time Vezina Trophy winner completed the final year of a seven-year contract he signed with Florida as a free agent in 2019, carrying a $10 million cap hit.
Bobrovsky, 37, was seeking term and a salary above market value for a goalie his age. Given the decline of his regular-season numbers — Bobrovsky was 26th in save percentage among goalies over the last two seasons (min. 80 games) — the Panthers were hoping to bring him back for a discount, especially given how long he had played for the franchise and their two Stanley Cup wins together.
Instead, Bobrovsky is scheduled to hit the unrestricted free agent market on July 1, with teams such as Toronto, Edmonton, Carolina and San Jose as possible destinations.
Rodrigues, 32, was also a member of those two Stanley Cup winners. A strong competitor down the lineup, he had 11 goals and 20 assists in 69 games last season, his third with Florida. Boqvist, 27, returns to the Devils, where he played his first four NHL seasons after being drafted in the second round.
Devils GM Sunny Mehta is familiar with both of them, having served as an assistant GM to Florida’s Bill Zito before taking over in New Jersey. His attention now turns to filling out the crease for the Devils, who have Jake Allen as their only veteran option.
