The Vancouver Canucks entered the 2024-25 season knowing they would be without star goalie Thatcher Demko for some time as he recovered from knee surgery. What the Canucks probably did not expect was for replacement goalie Kevin Lankinen to step up and basically steal Demko’s job.
While Demko was working his way back from the offseason surgery, Lankinen picked up a 13-4-3 record in his first 20 appearances. Lankinen played well enough throughout the season to earn a five-year contract extension worth $4.5 million annually.
With Lankinen locked up through 2030 and Demko about to enter the final year of his contract, some trade speculation might be popping up around the former Vezina Trophy candidate.
According to Elliotte Friedman on the 32 Thoughts Podcast, Demko was among the many players catching the attention of teams around the league in possible trade discussions.
“I’m going to give you a few names, and a few teams that people are going to be wondering about,” Friedman said. “Nick Hague is another name that’s getting a lot of attention. Thatcher Demko. Marco Rossi. Logan Mailloux. Rasmus Andersson, what are Calgary’s plans here?”
It was a blink-and-you-might-miss moment for Demko from Friedman, but there appears to be some smoke coming from Vancouver.
The Canucks were a massive disappointment last year, both on the ice and in the locker room. Drama filled the air in Vancouver with most of the turmoil surrounding the feud between J.T. Miller and Elias Pettersson.
While the Canucks made the decision to trade away Miller, and also added some key pieces to the lineup, nothing improved the team in a major way. They missed the playoffs finishing with a 38-30-14 record.
Some more retooling is sure to be ahead for the Canucks, and Demko might be among the first to move. Demko was an All-Star Vezina Trophy candidate in 2024, but has struggled to stay healthy for most of his career.
Are other teams willing to give the 29-year-old netminder a look?
