from Pat Steinberg of Sportsnet,

If Calgary wants to return to the playoffs next season, their goaltending needs to at least return to the middle of the pack. That fact is even more pronounced when you consider the combined $8.2 million Markstrom and tandem-mate Dan Vladar will be counting against the cap.

Markstrom is coming off a miserable season and perhaps the most difficult of his NHL career. His .892 save percentage was his worst since becoming a full time NHLer in 2015-16 and ranked him 46^th of 56 goalies with 20 or more starts.

Flames fans found those numbers even harder to stomach considering Markstrom’s sparkling .922 the season prior en route to finishing second to eventual winner Igor Shesterkin in Vezina voting. And, per Evolving Hockey’s model, Markstrom went from 29.1 goals saved above replacement to just 2.1 from one season to the next.

Even after good nights or strong weeks, Calgary’s $6 million man was never able to even out his game last year.

“It’s been a battle for me personally to find my game and find my way and get on my roll,” Markstrom admitted at April’s locker clean-out day.

“You know, as a goalie it’s tough. You’re there and you want to find it, you know you have it and when it doesn’t show…you almost try too hard, if that makes sense. (You) tense up and you want it too much instead of just…go out and play and enjoy it and, you know, just trust it.”

The question now becomes: was 2022-23 just a down year for 33-year-old Markstrom? Or was it a sign of things to come?

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