According to Elliotte Friedman, the Vancouver Canucks had, at one time, seriously considered moving goaltender Thatcher Demko. It appears that is no longer the case. During his most recent 32 Thoughts Podcast, Friedman noted there was a time this year when it looked like Thatcher Demko might get dealt. He says that option is now off of the table based on the way Thatcher returned to the lineup and played incredibly well for the Canucks.
Back in January, there was talk that Demko could be a trade candidate out of Vancouver. At the time, things with the Canucks were falling apart. The team had relieved Bruce Boudreau of his coaching duties, Bo Horvat was going to be moved, there was uncertainty surrounding J.T. Miller and basically, everyone not named Elias Pettersson and Quinn Hughes was being talked about as trade candidates. That included Demko, who hadn’t played nearly as well in that season compared to previous years where he was quickly earning a reputation as one of the better goaltenders in the NHL.
Fans and media in Vancouver believed the reports, but most thought it would have been insanely short-sighted to deal Demko. While he was struggling a bit, he was still better than any option the Canucks could replace him with and he was on a contract that provided value. He’s got three more seasons on his current contract ($5 million per season) after this one. Andy Strickland had reported in February as the deadline was approaching that Demko might be open to a change of scenery, especially considering it looked like the Canucks might be in line for a rebuild. It was later learned that he did not tell the organization he wanted a trade.
In the end, the Canucks are not said to be rebuilding. They will retool and there might be significant changes, but the club is looking to stay competitive, and to do that, they’ll need a top-notch netminder.
Next: Key Flames Players Non-Committal to Staying As Contracts Close
Pingback: Alex DeBrincat Future With Senators Remains in Limbo