The Ottawa Senators have aggressively been trying to acquire goaltender Jacob Markstrom from the Calgary Flames, sources told Postmedia's Bruce Garrioch.
Ottawa has also inquired about Linus Ullmark of the Boston Bruins and Juuse Saros of the Nashville Predators, Garrioch adds.
Markstrom's future with the Flames has been in limbo for months. New Jersey reportedly pushed to add him before the March trade deadline, and Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald has made it known he intends to land a big-name goalie this summer.
Constant rumors during the regular season prompted Markstrom to call out the Flames' front office for how they're handling the situation, and after their campaign ended, the veteran goaltender admitted he doesn't know where he'll play in 2024-25.
Markstrom has two seasons left on his contract with a $6-million cap hit and a full no-movement clause. The 34-year-old had a .905 save percentage in 48 appearances this season and ranked third among all netminders with 28.93 goals saved above expected.
The Senators ranked 31st in the NHL with an .884 all-situations save percentage this past season. Ottawa's most-used netminder was Joonas Korpisalo, who posted an .890 save percentage across 55 games in the first campaign of a five-year contract.
Anton Forsberg is also under contract for 2024-25.
The Senators are estimated to have $12.4 million in cap space this offseason - Steve Staios' first full summer in the GM chair. Ottawa has missed the playoffs for seven consecutive years.
