What is Canucks' plan for Silovs when Demko returns?
The Vancouver Canucks got the goalie they coveted on Saturday, inking free agent netminder Kevin Lankinen to a cheap one-year contract.
It was an important deal to get done given Thatcher Demko’s injury status. They don’t know when he’ll be back in game action, so getting some NHL-proven goaltending insurance beyond Arturs Silovs made sense.
This may risk alienating the 23-year-old Latvian, though.
Silovs was in line to be Demko’s backup last season until a September trade brought Casey DeSmith into the fold. As a result, Silovs spent most of the season in the AHL.
After signing a two-year contract this summer that pays him NHL money regardless of whether he plays in Vancouver or Abbotsford, Silovs appeared to have been handed an NHL job.
But what happens when Demko returns?
The Canucks could carry three goalies, but that comes with all sorts of complications. If they try sending Lankinen to the AHL, they’ll surely lose him on waivers.
Or they could send down Silovs.
Silovs isn’t waiver eligible, so they could do it without fear of another team grabbing him.
But that could be an uncomfortable move to make, particularly if Silovs excels at the NHL level again like he did on Vancouver’s most recent playoff run. Would they prioritize asset management or rewarding exceptional play?
“I understand that Silovs, through his representatives, made it known that he wanted to be in the NHL this season,” Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman said on today’s edition of the 32 Thoughts Podcast.
This is a problem for another day and clearly the Canucks will reassess things when Demko returns. All things considered, you could categorize this a nice problem to have, because it would mean Demko is ready to go.
But it is something to keep an eye on.