The Florida Panthers selected Swedish goalie Jacob Markström as the 31st pick in the 2008 NHL Draft. Three years later, on January 23, 2011, he made his debut, posting a .857 SV% in a relief appearance in a 5-2 loss to the New Jersey Devils. It was his only game that season, and in 2011-12, he played seven more, going 2-4-1.
During the shortened 48-game 2012-13 season, Markström actually led all Panthers goalies in appearances (23), but had the worst record at 8-14-1. In his final season, 2013-14, he shared the crease with three other netminders, including former Conn Smythe Trophy winner Tim Thomas, going 1-6-3 in 12 games. After 43 games, the Panthers moved on from him after he compiled an 11-25-5 record with an .898 SV% and 3.21 GAA.
On March 4, 2014, Florida traded him to the Vancouver Canucks, along with Shawn Matthias, in exchange for Steven Anthony and future Hall of Famer Roberto Luongo. Interestingly, Luongo is now Markström’s boss, since he’s the team’s goalie consultant.
Panthers’ chase of established netminders limited Markström's chances
In 2011, the Panthers had Tomas Vokoun and Scott Clemmensen anchoring the team, so Markström played only one game. Despite that solid duo, Florida missed the playoffs with a 30-40-12 record. However, the team had a stellar year in 2011-12, backed by former Hart Trophy winner Jose Theodore.
Markström played seven games, while Clemmensen (30) and Brian Foster (1) also saw time when Theodore (53) had a night off. The Panthers were 38-26-18 and won the Southeast Division championship, but lost to New Jersey in seven games during their first-round playoff matchup.
After the NHL lockout shortened the 2012-13 season to 48 games, Markström, now 23, played the most games, while the older Clemmensen, 35, and Theodore, 36, played fewer. One year after winning the division, the Panthers finished fifth with a 15-27-6 record.
If fans thought 2012-13 was bad, they would never have seen the next season coming. Vokoun and Theodore were gone, opening the door for Thomas to come down and become the team’s number one. In 40 games, he was 16-20-3, while Clemmensen played 17 games, Dan Ellis played six, and Markström played 12.
Florida finished second-to-last in the Atlantic Division with a 29-45-8 record, only 14 points ahead of the Buffalo Sabres.
The 2013-14 season was the final season for Markström and Clemmensen in Florida, as the team went with the trio of Luongo, Ellis, and Al Montoya the following year. That season’s squad went 38-29-15, but still missed the postseason.
Markström underperformed in limited time.
During Markström’s first time with the Panthers, he wasn’t on a Stanley Cup contender. The franchise was in quite a different spot then, ranking among the worst in the NHL. For example, from 2011 to 2014, the Panthers ranked 27th, 27th, 29th, and 29th in team scoring. As if scoring wasn’t enough of a problem, keeping the puck out of the net was also a major concern. The team ranked 14th, 12th, 30th, and 29th over the time period.
Since 2019, when Florida began their run of six postseason appearances, including three Stanley Cup Final appearances from 2023 to 2025, the team ranked 6th, 4th, 1st, 6th, 11th, and 15th in offense. On the back end, their goals-against total ranked 26th, 9th, 12th, 21st, 1st, and 7th overall.
A lot has changed in Florida since Markström last wore a Panthers sweater. He’s now the second-winningest Swedish goalie in NHL history and once led the league in shutouts (2021-22). With two years left on his current deal, he’s just 36 wins away from 300 in his career, which would make him the 43rd netminder to reach that plateau.
Ultimately, one of the biggest changes since Markström left is that the crease is now his. There’s no one above him, and he’s not sharing it with goalies who achieved more than him. The Panthers can only go as far as he carries them.
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