The Vancouver Canucks are bringing in an extra body for training camp, as general manager Patrik Allvin announced the signing of goaltender Dylan Ferguson to a professional tryout contract on Sunday evening.
With Thatcher Demko expected to be out for at least the start of camp, the Canucks were slated to head into Penticton with just Arturs Silovs, Jiri Patera, and Nikita Tolopilo as their main pro-level goalies.
Ferguson, 25, spent last season with the KHL’s Minsk Dynamo, posting a .904 save percentage through 23 games. Once a promising prospect with the WHL’s Kamloops Blazers, the Lantzville, B.C.-born goaltender has just three games of NHL experience to this point.
This includes his NHL debut, which came while he was with the Vegas Golden Knights under emergency conditions. At just 19 years old at the time, Ferguson came in for clean-up duty for Maxime Lagace and allowed one goal on two shots in just over nine minutes of game time. He didn’t suit up for an NHL game until five years later, when he was a member of the Ottawa Senators, whom he played two games with, posting a .940 save percentage.
While Ferguson doesn’t appear to be in a position to come in and take anyone’s job, he will add another competitive body at training camp among the goaltenders and, at the very least, put some sort of pressure on everyone to be at their best.
Mystery continues to surround the status of Thatcher Demko, who’s injury has no official timeline from the team at this point. Demko is expected to miss training camp and is rumoured to potentially be out for the start of the regular season, although his status should become more clear when Canucks management speaks ahead of training camp this week.
Canucks training camp kicks off from Penticton, BC, on Thursday, September 19th, from the South Okanagan Events Centre, with the Young Stars Classic wrapping up tomorrow.
