The New Jersey Devils announced Friday that the team has agreed to a two-year, $12 million contract extension with veteran goaltender Jacob Markstrom. The deal, confirmed by team president and general manager Tom Fitzgerald, carries an annual average value of $6 million and will keep the 35-year-old in New Jersey through the 2026–27 NHL season.
Negotiations between the Devils and Markstrom’s camp were extensive, per Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic. While Markstrom’s representatives preferred a longer deal with the same total value, New Jersey prioritized a shorter term, ultimately settling on a two-year compromise. The agreement ensures roster flexibility while maintaining the team’s proven goaltending tandem alongside Jake Allen, whose five-year, $1.8 million per season contract was finalized earlier this year. Combined, the pair accounts for $7.8 million against the salary cap, approximately 7.5% of the projected $104 million upper limit for next season.
The Devils acquired Jacob Markstrom from the Calgary Flames on June 19, 2024, in exchange for defenseman Kevin Bahl and their 2025 first-round pick (18th overall, later used to select Cole Reschny). As part of that deal, Calgary retained $1.875 million of his cap hit for the duration of his previous contract.
Markstrom’s arrival in New Jersey last season gave the Devils the reliable presence in net they had been missing for years. He posted a 26–16–6 record, a 2.50 goals-against average (GAA), and a .900 save percentage with four shutouts, helping New Jersey reduce its goals allowed by 61 from the previous season, ranking fifth-best in the NHL. During the playoffs, he recorded a 2.78 GAA and a .911 save percentage in the Devils' first-round series against the Carolina Hurricanes.
Markstrom reached a major career milestone on November 21, 2024, becoming the 81st goalie in NHL history and the third Swedish-born netminder to play 500 career games. In his 16 NHL seasons with the Florida Panthers, Vancouver Canucks, Flames, and Devils, he holds a 243–214–63 record, a 2.72 GAA, a .908 save percentage, and 24 shutouts across 520 games.
Internationally, Markstrom has represented Sweden with distinction, earning four medals, including gold at the 2013 IIHF World Championship. Though selected for Team Sweden in the Four Nations tournament, an injury prevented his participation
