Canucks steal back Patera from Bruins in waiver wire round-trip
The Vancouver Canucks picked up a familiar face off the waiver wire today.
The team claimed goalie Jiri Patera who they lost on waivers to the Boston Bruins just last week. This is the end of a hectic journey for the young goalie who did a round-trip between the Vancouver and Boston organizations.
VCR claims Patera
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) October 7, 2024
Patera has eight career NHL games with a 3.57 goals-against-average and a .902% save percentage.
The Bruins picked up the Czechia-born goalie from the Canucks as they dealt with uncertainty in net when star goalie Jeremy Swayman remained unsigned. The two sides agreed on a massive $64 million contract recently and the team waived Patera shorlty after, making a return to Vancouver possible.
Because the Canucks were the only team to put a claim on Patera today, they’re allowed to stash him in the AHL. That’s his likely destination where he’ll split time with Nikita Tolopilo for Abbotsford.
The Canucks originally signed Patera on July 1 this year shortly after free agency opened. The 25-year-old was slated to start the season as part of a tandem with Arturs Silovs but was pushed out after the organization signed Kevin Lankinen.
Starter Thatcher Demko continues to recover from a knee injury suffered in last year’s playoffs and thus the Canucks have question marks in net. Patera adds more depth to the position group.
Demko is expected to return within the next month. The Canucks will then need to decide if they will carry three goalies in Vancouver, or in Abbotsford, or move someone to the ECHL.
New Canucks defenceman Erik Brannstrom, acquired in a surprise deal with the Colorado Avalanche yesterday, cleared waivers and will report to Abbotsford. The former first-round pick will start the season in the AHL but could be called-up if the team experiences injuries on the blue line.