Flames goalie Jacob Markstrom takes a shot at former teammates Tkachuk and Gaudreau!

Calgary Flames starting goaltender Jacob Markstrom has yet to face his formers teammates on the ice, but he is making sure the rivalry is ignited. Markstrom attended the European Player Media Tour in Paris on Wednesday and told NHL.com’s Dan Rosen that he thinks the Flames are better than they were before their off-season changes. He didn’t hide his feelings: according to him, Calgary is better now with Nazem Kadri, Jonathan Huberdeau and MacKenzie Weegar than it was with Johnny Gaudreau and Matthew Tkachuk.

The summer kicked off with the focus shifting to Gaudreau’s contract situation. He shocked the hockey world when he inked a seven-year deal with the Columbus Blue Jackets (joining Erik Gudbranson, who inked a deal with Columbus earlier the same day).

Then, it was Matthew who announced he would not sign a long-term extension with the Flames and the blockbuster trade took place. Tkachuk was traded to the Florida Panthers for Jonathan Huberdeau, MacKenzie Weegar, Cole Schwindt, and a 2025 first-round pick. Flames GM Brad Treliving then got Huberdeau to sign an eight-year contract extension, while Weegar currently remains a pending unrestricted free agent.

There is no doubt that Treliving has made the most of the Flames’ situation, not only with the blockbuster trade, but also when he managed to sign free agent Nazem Kadri to a seven-year deal. However, it remains to be seen if the new Flames’ lineup will do better than the one from last season, that managed to get to the second round of the postseason before getting eliminated by the Edmonton Oilers.

But it sure looks like Markstrom is right: Kadri, Huberdeau, and Weegar combined for 246 points last year; Gaudreau, Tkachuk, and Monahan managed 242.

But we bet the comments stung his former teammates Gaudreau and Tkachuk, who could look to make him pay when they face him in 2022-23.