7 Interesting Facts About Jacob Markström

On Wednesday, Jun. 19, 2024, the New Jersey Devils acquired Jacob Markström from the Calgary Flames. The 34-year-old is a veteran of 14 NHL seasons and has some international experience representing his native country, Sweden.

As the number-one goalie for the past seven seasons, there are plenty of things to discuss regarding his professional hockey career. Today, we will dive deeply into his statistics and performances to highlight his accomplishments as he prepares to introduce himself to an entirely new fanbase in Newark.

Markström's First NHL Appearance Occurred at the Prudential Center

Markström was drafted by the Florida Panthers in the second round (31st overall) of the 2008 NHL Entry Draft. At the time, he played with Brynäs IF in Elitserien, Sweden's top league.

He didn't come to North America until the 2010-11 season, when he played 37 games with the Rochester Americans in the AHL, posting a 16-20-1 record. Markström earned a cup of coffee with the Panthers in early 2011, skating in his NHL game against the Devils on Jan. 23 at the Prudential Center.

After Scott Clemmensen gave up two first-period goals, Markström came in to take the loss, making 12 saves on 14 shots (.857 SV%) in 39:49 of ice time. Brian Rolston and Patrik Elias scored power-play goals against him as New Jersey won 5-2 with an empty goal. Markström wouldn't play in the NHL until Oct. 18, 2011.

He Had a Successful but Brief Stint in the SHL

In 2005-06, Markström was signed to play with IK Sätra J18 but never dressed for a game, according to his EliteProspects profile. The following season, he jumped ships to Brynäs IF J18, skating in 13 games, including three playoff games.

From that season on, he played for Brynäs IF through his J18 and J20 eligibility years, eventually earning a promotion to their senior club in Elitserian, now formally known as the SHL. Markström's first shot at professional hockey resulted in a 2-4-1 record and a .888 Sv%.

He rebounded in 2008-09, going 13-14-0 with a .917 SV% and 2.38 GAA, earning three shutouts. However, his best season in Sweden came in 2009-10. At 20, Markström was 21-11-0, with a .927 SV%, 2.01 GAA, and five shutouts, to lead the SHL in all three statistical categories.

Moreover, Markström walked away with the Rookie of the Year, Swedish Goalie of the Year (Honken Trophy), and Swedish Junior Hockey Player of the Year (Årets Junior) awards.

Markström is one of four netminders to come from Gävle, Sweden

According to statistics on NHL.com, there have been 413 Swedish-born players in league history, with Markström as one of 39 to play goalie.

Born on Jan. 31, 1990, he is one of 15 skaters from Gälve, Sweden, including a small fraternity of goalies, including Felix Sandström, currently of the Philadelphia Flyers.

The other goalies from Gälve include Anders Lindbäck (130 games) and Jonas Johansson (61 games).

Led Sweden to a World Championship

Markström split the 2012-13 season between the San Antonio Rampage (33 games) in the AHL and the Panthers (23 games) in the NHL, earning a modest 24-29-3 record between the clubs.

However, he accepted an invitation to play for Sweden at the 2013 World Championships, where he earned a 2-1-0 record with a .934 SV% and 1.58 GAA in five appearances to help the Nordic country win their ninth World Championship.

Markström Has Earned a Winning Record Against 17 NHL Franchises

After 14 seasons in the NHL, Markström has played in 485 games, with a record of 215-196-57. He recorded his first NHL win against the New York Islanders on Oct. 22, 2011, and his first shutout against the Carolina Hurricanes on Dec. 5, 2017.

Having played 11 seasons in the northwest between the Vancouver Canucks (seven) and Flames (four), Markström has dressed 34 times against the Edmonton Oilers, the most games against an opponent in the league. He's 15-17-2 lifetime playing the Oilers, one of the 12 teams he doesn't have a winning record against.

Out of the 32 NHL teams, Markström holds a winning record against Los Angeles, Anaheim, Vancouver, Chicago, Dallas, New York Rangers, Arizona, New York Islanders, Boston, Colorado, Minnesota, Philadelphia, Carolina, Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Columbus, Detroit, and Seattle.

He's currently even against Montreal (8-8-3) and Florida (5-5-1), with losing marks against Edmonton, Winnipeg, Vegas, St. Louis, San Jose, New Jersey, Toronto, Calgary, Tampa Bay, Ottawa, Nashville, and Washington. Interestingly, Markström has at least three wins against every team in the NHL except the Capitals, against whom he is just 1-8-2.

He tends to Surrender Milestone Goals

After the 2023-24 season, Markström has surrendered 1,265 goals to 606 players. Of those skaters, he's given up a first career goal on 28 occasions, including names like Rasmus Ristolainen, Johnny Gaudreau, Jordan Kyrou, Andrew Mangiapane, and Vincent Desharnais.

Pittsburgh's Jonathan Gruden is the most recent player with their first career goal on Markström, achieving this feat on Mar. 2, 2024.

Outside of a skater's first goal, five players have registered their 100th career goal against Markström, including Mathieu Perreault (2017), Mark Giordano (2017), Jonathan Marchessault (2019), Alex Edler (2021), and Tyson Barrie (2022).

Rick Nash is the only other player to score another milestone goal, his 400th, against Markström. He achieved the marker on Nov. 8, 2016, at Madison Square Garden.

Markström's Place in Sweden Goalie History

Henrik Lundqvist is the greatest goalie from not only Sweden but all of Scandinavia. Most of his NHL accomplishments are out of reach for goalies who follow his footsteps in North America, let alone his achievements with Sweden on the international stage.

At 34, Markström is a long shot to reach any of Lundqvist's statistical totals. Still, as the most veteran Swedish netminder in the NHL today, he's on the cusp of surpassing Tommy Salo (1995-2004) in many categories to stand alone in second place behind "The King."

Ahead of the 2024-25 season, Markström must play 41 more games, lose 29 more contests, surrender 31 more goals, and skate in 2,601 minutes to surpass Salo in each category. He must also record 17 more shutouts and 25 penalty minutes to claim second place in those categories.

Markström has won the second most games, suffered the second most overtime losses, and collected the second most assists by a Swedish goalie. Considering he has two seasons left on his current deal, he'll likely cross some of these milestones in a Devils uniform.