To the surprise of absolutely no one, the Vancouver Canucks extended goaltender Jacob Markstrom on Thursday, signing the goaltender to a three-year pact worth an annual average salary of $3.67 million.
This is good. I know we've all grown accustomed to pooh-poohing every move the Canucks make, but there should be little to complain about with this deal. It's an excellent one for Vancouver for a number of reasons, chief amongst them that it solidifies the plan in goal for the foreseeable future. Until Thursday's announcement, the Canucks had just one NHL netminder on the payroll for next season: Roberto Luongo, who lives much too far away these days to be on time for any of their games.
Now, however, they have some security in net for the next several years. When Ryan Miller leaves after this season (unless the Canucks fall into a trance and decide to re-sign him), Markstrom will take over in goal at the moment he starts making that starter money. Plus, as a bonus, Vancouver still has something to show for the infuriating circumstances that sent Luongo out of town beyond an entry in General Fanager's "retained" category.
And unlike Luongo's contract, this one doesn't suck. The Canucks likely could have played hardball with Markstrom for the whole season, fighting their way to a slightly cheaper deal, but there were a number of reasons that would have been a bad call. For one thing, with no one else at the ready for next season, they didn't have much bargaining power. And did anyone really want another season of endless questions in goal? Lord knows this regime would rather no one is talking about their goaltending situation; after the last saga, no price is too high for a little peace in the crease.
The main win here, however, is term. With highly-touted prospect Thatcher Demko beginning his three-year entry-level contract and pro career in Utica this season, it's likely only a matter of time before he's challening for a starter's job in the show. But now there's no need to rush him -- Markstrom's signed straight through Demko's development period. Cory Schneider, the last top goaltending prospect developed in-house, spent all three of his ELC years in the AHL. If Demko does the same, his first year as an NHL regular will be the final year of Markstrom's deal, giving the Canucks a chance to assess their situation and, again, allowing them some bargaining power if Demko asks for the world in the preceding summer. (Play nice, Thatch, or we'll extend Markstrom again. Boy oh boy, we'll extend him so hard.)
Markstrom's pro career has had its ups and downs, but he showed signs last season of rediscovering the form that made him a highly-touted prospect in his own right, thanks in large part to his work with goaltending coach Dan Cloutier. You can see why he'd want to stay here -- Vancouver believed in him. (Plus they kept his coach.) If he can reward their belief, the Canucks will once again find themselves with a good problem in a few years: two good goalies.
Maybe this time around they can figure out a way to keep at least one.
