After a busy July 1, the Vancouver Canucks have been relatively quiet on the news front with only updates from their annual development camp dotting their social media channels. General manager Patrik Allvin still has some things left on his to-do list, however, one being re-signing restricted free agent Arturs Silovs. He should also add some veteran help behind him after losing Casey DeSmith to the Dallas Stars on July 1 and Zach Sawchenko to the Columbus Blue Jackets on July 7.
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The Canucks found out the hard way this year that depth at the goaltending position is important. When both Demko and DeSmith went down with injuries in the first round of the playoffs, Silovs was pressed into action and Nikita Tolopilo was his backup. Sawchenko took the starting job in Abbotsford, and the baby Canucks made it through to the second round of the Calder Cup Playoffs thanks to a 47-save effort against the Colorado Eagles. Silovs, meanwhile, brilliantly carried the parent club to one win away from the Western Conference Final.
Right now, that same depth does not exist, especially when it comes to games in the NHL. Beyond Demko, the rest of the goaltenders on the depth chart – Silovs, Jiri Patera, and Tolopilo – have a combined 12 games of regular-season experience. Are the Canucks confident enough in Silovs to start 30 or more games behind Demko? Even if they are, they should still invest in some veteran insurance just in case he’s not ready for the workload or injuries to that duo rear their ugly head. With that said, here are a few goaltenders still on the market that could provide just that.
Martin Jones
Martin Jones has had a lot of success over the years against the Canucks. In 19 career starts, he has a 12-5-2 record with a 2.37 goals-against average (GAA) and a .917 save percentage (SV%). So why not bring the North Vancouver native home to see if that success translates to the other side? While he’s no longer the same goaltender that anchored the Sharks crease for their Stanley Cup Final run in 2016, recording a 2.16 GAA, .923 SV% and three shutouts, he can still be a serviceable backup behind a good defence.
Jones played the role of veteran insurance with the Toronto Maple Leafs last season where he put up an 11-8-1 record with a 2.87 GAA, .902 SV% and two shutouts. He was brilliant at times, too, especially during a stretch in December and January where he only allowed two or more goals once in a span of seven starts. Even if Silovs is in the NHL, he could still be a strong third-string option should Demko or Silovs go down with an injury.
Antti Raanta
If the Canucks signed Antti Raanta, he would more than likely take up residence behind Demko, and Silovs would be destined for the AHL – unless he outperforms him in training camp, that is. Raanta has spent the last three seasons in Carolina as the 1B to Frederik Andersen, and apart from last season, his numbers have been exemplary. Before the mediocre 2.99 GAA and .872 SV% of 2023-24, he had a 2.23 GAA and .910 SV% in 2022-23 and a 2.45 GAA and .912 SV% in 2021-22. He also added six shutouts and a 13-game run in the 2022 Playoffs posting a 2.26 GAA and a .922 SV%.
If the Canucks deem Silovs not ready for the NHL just yet, Raanta could conceivably split time with Demko and give the Canucks’ star goaltender the rest he needs to stay healthy and energized for the playoffs. He has proven that he can be a legitimate starter at times, too, which would probably give head coach Rick Tocchet confidence to employ a 1A/1B tandem throughout the season.
Kevin Lankinen
Finally, there’s Kevin Lankinen, who backed up workhorse Juuse Saros in Nashville for the past two seasons. If the Canucks decide to ride Demko as their primary starter, he is used to sitting for multiple games in a row between starts. He also put up slightly better numbers than DeSmith posting a 2.82 GAA and .908 SV% in 24 games, compared to DeSmith’s 2.89 GAA and .896 SV% in 29 games.
Lankinen hasn’t seen the AHL since the 2019-20 season, so it is unlikely that he would take a straight two-way deal to potentially start in Abbotsford. So, again, like Raanta, he likely would be signed as the assumed backup to Demko.
Silovs Proved Himself in the Playoffs, But Canucks Still Need Veteran Insurance
After Silovs’ brilliance in the playoffs, it appeared to be all but confirmed that the young Latvian would be Demko’s backup for the 2024-25 season. But, after reports of Allvin circling back to re-signing DeSmith at the draft, and subsequently losing him to the Dallas Stars, he could be in the market to add a veteran voice to the depth chart that (as of this writing) includes Demko, Silovs, Patera, and Tulopilo. Any of the above would be a massive injection of experience that could not only start in place of Demko if needed but also split time with him as a 1B.
While Silovs definitely proved in the playoffs that he has the chops and mental fortitude to be an NHL goaltender, he still hasn’t proven to be a reliable backup in the regular season. He is also waiver-exempt, making it easy to bring him up and down from the AHL. In the end, it might be better for the 23-year-old to start a ton in Abbotsford than sit on the bench as a backup right now. In any case, this is a story that will be interesting to follow in the dog days of summer and into training camp and the preseason.
