Arturs Silovs plays his best hockey when the pressure is on. His play in the World Championship for Latvia put the goaltender on the map, and his strong performances for the Vancouver Canucks in the 2023 Playoffs made him look like the next in line for the starter’s job.
While his save percentage (SV%) was .908 and his goals-against average (GAA) was 2.41 this season with the Abbotsford Canucks in the American Hockey League (AHL), he’s found another gear in the playoffs. His .929 SV% and 1.94 GAA, along with five shutouts, are the main reasons the Canucks are in the Calder Cup Final. Most players struggle under the spotlight, not Silovs.
It’s hard to judge a small sample size and say it will translate to the NHL level, especially for a position as unpredictable as goaltending. However, Silovs has proven throughout his career that he’s best in the playoffs, from international competition to the Calder Cup Playoffs to the Stanley Cup Playoffs. The Canucks missed the playoffs this season and have an uncertain roster, yet Silovs should give them hope for the future.
What Makes Silovs Great in the Playoffs
The AHL has two types of goaltenders. The extraterrestrials, who stand as tall as 6-foot-7 but lack the athletic ability to make many saves and those who have the athleticism to make it to the NHL but are too small at 5-foot-10. Silovs is a combination of both at 6-foot-4 and 200 pounds, with the flexibility to make a big save once in a while.
That’s what makes him a good goaltending prospect (although he’s no longer in that “prospect” age range). It’s not what makes Silovs great in the playoffs. It’s his aggressiveness and willingness to swallow up pucks when the games matter most. The Edmonton Oilers and the Florida Panthers are in the Final thanks, in part, to their goaltenders, especially the Oilers’ Stuart Skinner and the Panthers’ Sergei Bobrovsky‘s ability to eliminate second chances. Playing this aggressive style doesn’t work during the regular season. It does when the games are all about second chances and loose pucks.
The Canucks aren’t the better team in the Calder Cup Final. They travel to Charlotte for Game 1 to face the Charlotte Checkers, a team that not only had a great regular season but also went 10-2 in the playoffs. The Canucks have the better goaltender, which will give them a solid chance in this series.
Projecting Silovs at the Next Level
It’s easy to forget how Silovs looked during the regular season. In six starts through the first two months of the NHL season, he was unplayable, which forced the Canucks to send him down to the AHL with no intention of calling him back up. He only started nine NHL games all season, and the goal was for him to start at least 20.
However, there are a few things worth considering. First, he’s 24, and most goaltenders only start hitting their stride around 25. While Silovs is not a prospect, he’s still developing and rounding out his game before he becomes a regular. The other thing to consider is that his style often clashes with the Canucks’ defensive game. Vancouver allowed many high-danger shots on net, which overwhelmed their goaltenders. With a new coach and a new system, they will try to start on the right foot (Adam Foote, that is) next season, with a tighter defensive game that will help whoever is in net.
The Canucks relying on Silovs during the regular season is a bad idea, one that’s sure to backfire. However, having him around to split starts will help them reach the playoffs. Then, they can rely on him to lead a deep playoff run.
Silovs Gives Rutherford Options
The playoffs showed what Silovs will bring to the NHL team. Sure, he won’t lead the Canucks to the best record or make them a playoff team. However, if they are good enough to make the playoffs, Silovs is one of the few clutch goaltenders. He’s allowed his AHL team to go on a run by playing at an elite level, and when the pressure is at its highest, he’s at his best.
With this in mind, Canucks president Jim Rutherford can keep Silovs around as a backup, even by the start of next season. Thatcher Demko and Kevin Lankinen will both be 30 at the beginning of the season and could be expendable. If the Canucks want to rebuild, they can move either one for prospects while making space for Silovs.
The Canucks are coming off a tough season and made a handful of significant changes. The future also doesn’t look great, with the clock ticking on Quinn Hughes, who has two years remaining on his contract before he becomes either the highest-paid player on the team or signs elsewhere. That said, Silovs should give the Canucks hope. For now, he’s the goaltender who can bring the first title to Vancouver for either the NHL or the AHL team.
