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Report: Canucks take Markstrom off the market

Jacob Markstrom

Jacob Markstrom

AP

The Vancouver Canucks are no longer interested in trading goaltender Jacob Markstrom.

According to ESPN’s Pierre LeBrun, the club was open to offers on the 24-year-old Swede earlier in the season. Markstrom reportedly asked for a trade after the team inked Ryan Miller last summer and general manager Jim Benning agreed the team was “exploring that option”.

However, Markstrom’s solid play this season has given Canucks’ management a change of heart.

Markstrom is currently second in the AHL in goals-against average (1.92) and save percentage (.934). He was the co-winner of AHL All-Star Game MVP on Monday night after stopping 16 of 18 shots.

In 18 games this season, Markstrom has a 12-4-2 record. He had a solid start to the season nearly setting a new AHL shutout record in October.

LeBrun reports the Canucks now believe Markstrom could be a late bloomer like current Lightning starter Ben Bishop.

Bishop, 28, spent parts of six seasons in the AHL prior to becoming an NHL regular in Tampa.

Markstrom, who is in the second year of a two-year, $2.4 million contract, is a restricted free agent after this season.

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