Forgot to add Hanifin retention

I can’t see Calgary being interested in that Markstrom deal.

Devils consider but would certainly avoid Vladar Schmid swap.

Schmid is waiver exempt, which is why we probably don’t trade him. The whole idea is to add a goalie that can bridge us to Daws and Schmid (not giving up on them…still both very young)

I’d take Schmid and Vladar out and add a prospect.

I want to keep Markstrom personally and have him mentor Wolf but, everyone else seems to want him out so I thought I'd give my take on it.

I don't value goalies as high as most people, to me a backup= 3rd or 4th, decent starter= 2nd or 3rd+, Vezina caliber= 1st and maybe some change. Not a popular opinion but, that's my view

I left Daws who I think might be the better of the two as your future goalie.
To me getting Wolf a chance full time in the NHL should be high priority and the Flames value Vladar despite treating him poorly (not playing him often, seemingly killing his development as he's statistically worse every year) so losing him for nothing is something they're trying to avoid
Now I haven't looked up your up your D prospects outside of Casey (every Flames ACGM asks for him) but, the Flames have more than enough decent ones so a forward prospect won't do anything for them (I only say forwards because every NJD ACGM that wants Markstrom always adds forwards the Flames have already)
All this to say IMO this is the best comprimise

If the 1st is there, I don’t think any top prospects would be added. It would replace Holtz from originally accepted deal. If it’s a lesser pick, Holtz or Casey are probably options.

Our D prospects are, in order, best at top
Nemec
Hughes

Casey
Vilen

Hatakka
Karpovich
Edwards
Leddy
Misyul
Orlov

Sounds like your view lines up with what GMs have historically paid for goalies

I agree with a 1st in the trade a top prospect is not neccessary, I've just seen it too often
Looking at your D prospects and going solely off stats Barabosha and Orlov are intriguing. Both are 6'2 and playing in the KHL full time, under 21, if it came down to it I'd take them but, in my eyes if the Flames making a change in the crease it should also make way for Wolf to play full time and Schmid (or Daws if you like Schmid more) is waiver exempt and allows the Flames more flexibilty, to me that's an important component of a Markstrom trade

But not what many ACGMs think lol Starting goalies are worth more than star centers somehow

Fan perception often lags far behind what NHL gms have realized.

Great goaltending is a necessity to win a cup. But that great goaltending can come from anywhere. Buying a goalie via trade is NOT a guarantee of great goaltending, which people don’t get.

Also due to the volatility of goalies it’s easy to overrate your teams.

Any goalie having a good stretch of play is guaranteed to sustain that in their fanbases eyes, and any goalie struggling is on the cusp of bouncing back to their previous form.

Goalies rarely get 1sts, but I could name 33+ goalies who, if I asked their fanbase about, they’d ask for a 1st minimum

Exactly, finally a guy who gets it!

Goalies are important but, come playoffs it's more about a goalie getting hot at the right time than anything else.

It’s not quite as bad as NFL fanbases being shocked every year when former superstar players with pricey contracts and are quite old get moved for mid round picks, but it’s still a pretty wide gap in perception vs reality

I kind of get what you're saying but, I'm canadian for NFL fanbases aren't as loud over here but, I agree with what you're saying