Canucks avoid risky situation by getting an established backup goalie
If the Vancouver Canucks want to be a playoff team, they’re going to need excellent goaltending.
And not from just Thatcher Demko.
It’s hard to make the playoffs, and when you’re a bubble team like the Canucks look to be, your backup can make or break your chances of qualifying. It’s why we wondered if the Canucks would add another goalie in free agency.
Just look at the Winnipeg Jets last season. They had an elite goalie in Connor Hellebuyck, who started 64 games and had a .920 save percentage.
But they still needed wins from backup David Rittich. The Jets backup had a 9-8-1 record in 18 starts, with a .901 save percentage.
While those aren’t elite numbers, they were enough to help Winnipeg squeak into the playoffs, beating out Calgary by just two points.
If Rittich instead posted an 8-10-0 record, the Jets would have missed the playoffs.
That’s why getting Casey DeSmith was an important move for the Canucks on Tuesday.
- You might also like:
- Expectations for Canucks prospect Aidan McDonough after Young Stars showing
Tanner Pearson will get the headlines in today’s trade with the Montreal Canadiens, and certainly having to give up a third-round pick in the deal was to compensate for the salary dump. But DeSmith does fill a need for the Canucks, who were seemingly prepared to roll the dice on the backup goalie job prior to the trade.
The Canucks have Spencer Martin and Arturs Silovs in the fold, but assuming either goalie could carry the mail would be like flying without a safety net. That’s exactly what the Canucks tried last season, and they paid the price. When Demko struggled and then got hurt, Martin wasn’t able to fill the gap and neither was Collin Delia.
Rick Tocchet should have more confidence starting DeSmith and resting Demko, and that should help get the best out of his No. 1 goalie too.
While the living Latvian legend Silovs is coming off a sensational performance at the World Championship, it would have been a gamble to gift him the backup goalie spot. Silovs (5) and Martin (38) have just 43 games of combined NHL experience.
DeSmith, on the other hand, is an established NHL netminder who played 38 games in Pittsburgh last season, posting a .905 save percentage. There were even some calls for the 6-foot, 181-pound goalie to take over as the Penguins’ starter.
The 32-year-old Rochester, New Hampshire native has appeared in 134 NHL games during his career, posting a .912 save percentage. Add in the fact that Canucks management is familiar with the goaltender and there should be a lot more certainty in the position going forward.
This doesn’t mean that Silovs’ time won’t come. It merely takes the pressure off the 22-year-old, eliminating the need to fast-track him to the NHL before he may be ready.