Rick Dhaliwal noted on the Donnie and Dhali Show that teams are calling the Vancouver Canucks about the availability of goaltender Thatcher Demko. He said that the Canucks are looking at all sorts of options and felt that trading a player who is in his prime and better of somewhere else might be the right course of action. That said, he noted, “If you’re moving him, better be a good haul.”
Dhaliwal isn’t the only media insider that thinks Demko could be moved. Elliotte Friedman said, “I think you’re going to see a bunch of other guys moved… [Bo] Horvat, [Brock] Boeser, [Tyler] Myers & maybe Demko.” Friedman believes the Canucks will be very active sellers at the trade deadline.
Dhaliwal wonders if the Pittsburgh Penguins have interest (he had no confirmation of it, just a feeling), but Donnie wonders why the Canucks would make Demko available. At the very least, he said this sends mixed messages because the team just signed Andrei Kuzmenko to a new deal, which doesn’t scream rebuild. Donnie wonders if maybe the Canucks have soured on Demko as a player, based on injuries and how he hasn’t produced as expected after one really strong season. Donnie pointed out that Demko didn’t exactly have a great start to the season and now his injury situation might have the Canucks (and other teams) thinking twice about his future as the league’s next great goaltender.
All Dhaliwal said is that he knows his that his name is out there.
In other Canucks news, Ilya Mikheyev has been shut down for the season with an ACL injury and will be having surgery. Darren Dreger reports, “Mikheyev wanted to play with his ACL injury. Athletes compete all the time with similar issues. I know there have been many NHL players who have done the same. Why the criticism? He’s shut down now to get it fixed and be ready for camp + next season. This wasn’t poorly managed.”
Lane Pederson was also claimed off of waivers by the Columbus Blue Jackets.
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