Trade rumors have surrounded Jacob Markstrom for several months, but general manager Craig Conroy said the veteran goaltender has never asked to leave the Calgary Flames.
"He's never come and said he wants out," Conroy told Sportsnet's Eric Francis. "That's never been mentioned. He's never said that."
Markstrom has two seasons left on his contract at a $6 million cap hit. His pact also contains a no-trade clause. The Flames and New Jersey Devils reportedly discussed a trade during the season, but talks fell apart when the clubs couldn't agree on salary retention.
The Ottawa Senators are also apparently aggressively pursuing Markstrom this summer.
Conroy said the constant speculation about Markstrom's future in Calgary has grown to irk him.
"It's part of the game, but it does bother me because it's always out there - there's something about the goalie all the time, and I don't think it's fair to the goalie either," Conroy said.
"I feel more for him because I've been on the other side of this. Everyone wants to speculate and throw things out there, and I don't think it's fair to him."
Amid trade speculation during the season, Markstrom said the Flames' front office could've handled his situation better ahead of the trade deadline. Calgary swung significant deals after Conroy took over as GM, shipping out Tyler Toffoli, Noah Hanifin, and Chris Tanev in separate moves.
Markstrom posted a .905 save percentage in 48 appearances this past season as the Flames missed the playoffs.
