NHL Trade Breakdown: Panthers Acquire Markstrom from Devils in 5-Player Blockbuster
The speculation is over. What started as a Elliotte Friedman tease has officially evolved into a massive five-player blockbuster between the Florida Panthers and New Jersey Devils.
Here is the complete trade breakdown confirmed by TSN’s Pierre LeBrun:
To Florida: G Jacob Markstrom, F Angus Crookshank
To New Jersey: F Evan Rodrigues, F Jesper Boqvist, F Ben Steeves
Evan Rodriques, Jesper Boqvist and Ben Steeves to NJ in exchange for Jacob Marktsrom and Angus Crookshank.
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) June 30, 2026
That's the full Panthers-Devils deal.
Why Florida pulled the trigger:
With Sergei Bobrovsky slated to hit unrestricted free agency on Wednesday, the Panthers desperately needed a primary starter. They are gambling heavily on a homecoming for the 36-year-old Markstrom, absorbing his $6M AAV for the next two seasons. It’s a risky roster bet, Markstrom is coming off a brutal .883 save percentage campaign, but Florida’s front office clearly believes he can rebound behind their blue line.
What New Jersey gets:
Devils GM Sunny Mehta executed a brilliant cap-clearing move while aggressively upgrading his forward depth. Evan Rodrigues brings immediate middle-six versatility, having notched his fifth straight 30-point season despite a recent finger injury. Packaging him with Jesper Boqvist and AHL scorer Ben Steeves gives New Jersey crucial offensive insulation while getting Markstrom’s heavy contract off the books.
This is a franchise-altering move that completely shifts the offseason plans for both Eastern Conference squads heading into July 1.