What did Tom Fitzgerald mean when he said that Jacob Markstrom could be better?

Many people have strong opinions about Jacob Markstrom and his capabilities. However, he's really putting together some strong outings. He recently recorded his second shutout of the season in a 3-0 victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins. Even though he only faced 12 shots, Sheldon Keefe still praised him for his efforts.

"12 shots is a commitment. Whether it's 12 shots or not, the start of the game, the first few shifts, and some of the high-end saves, Marky keeps us in this one. "

Sheldon Keefe postgame vs. Penguins

In his last four starts, Markstrom is 4-0-0 with a .952 save percentage and a 0.76 GAA. He's also second in the NHL for most wins this season (17) just behind reigning Vezina Trophy winner Connor Hellebuyck (21). However, general manager Tom Fitzgerald had some interesting comments when asked a few days ago to evaluate Markstrom's season up to this point.

"I think if you asked Jacob, he'd probably tell you that he could be better. I think everybody could be better, that's for sure. But he gives us a chance every single night to win a hockey game. But that doesn't mean he can't improve or our play around him can't improve. "

Tom Fitzgerald

Those comments led people to speculate that Fitzgerald was "indifferent" about Markstrom. However, that is not true. Fitzgerald's words have a lot more meaning behind them. Markstrom has been described to be competitive. This means he's somewhat of a perfectionist and always looking for ways to improve his game. For example, the Devils defeated the St. Louis Blues 4-1 last week and Markstrom recorded 19 saves. Pucks & Pitchforks was at Enterprise Center and asked Markstrom his thoughts on his season. His response echoed what Fitzgerald previously said.

"I think we gotta keep going. We got something good going. But we're not halfway through the season yet, so it's still early. I feel like I can improve...You gotta keep working and it starts in practice. We're doing the right things and the game comes a little easier when you work hard in practice. "

Jacob Markstrom postgame @ Blues

Despite Markstrom being hard on himself for not securing the shutout, Keefe still praised him after the game.

"He looked really sharp right from the start of the game...He was seeing the puck really well. He probably wants to have the one that went in back [Jordan Kyrou's goal], but he obviously gave up nothing else and that's what you're looking for with any goaltender: to be solid and bounce back. He's been really, really good. He's in a nice groove and it's great to see."

Sheldon Keefe postgame @ Blues

When circling back to Fitzgerald's comments, it wasn't him feeling indifferent toward Markstrom. He acknowledged Markstrom's competitive spirit and also said that everybody on the roster could improve. Because nobody is perfect, and there's always room for improvement. A good example would be Jack Hughes improving his defensive game and being utilized on the penalty kill. While Markstrom has only seen 616 shots this season, he's proved that he's a good goalie. He and Jake Allen are certainly upgrades over Vitek Vanecek and Akira Schmid.