2018 TCW Vancouver Canucks prospect report cards
Goalies
Thatcher Demko, Utica Comets (AHL)
Thatcher Demko started his season on the IR with a concussion. Despite having a new goalie coach for the third time in as many seasons, Canucks fans were not impressed with Demko during the preseason. Some felt he wasn’t ready and those hopping on the Dave Pratt train were ready to move on. Yikes.
Regardless, Demko returned and played fairly well. He was a top five goaltender in the AHL last season and didn’t need much time to get back up to speed. Demko wasn’t putting up shutouts every night, but he did his job well enough to win. He wasn’t thrown into a fire on his return, but as the games have become tougher, Demko has stepped up. He has a save percentage of .915 and a 6-3-1 record.
Many of you are aware of Jason Botchford’s project cable box, where the team needs to start selling one of their NHL goalies to call up Demko. And I agree. Demko is 23 years old. I always talk about forwards and defencemen hitting peak ages and goaltenders are no different. The sooner we can see Demko get games the better. Win or lose, he needs a chance to play a whole string of games. I don’t think there is much left for him in the AHL and if 20-year-old Carter Hart can win consecutive games on that garbage team in Philadelphia, what’s the harm in bringing up Demko?
The kid from San Diego is ready. He is also the only goalie prospect in the system who has any pro experience. I wouldn’t be rushing to move him for immediate help any time soon. He deserves a chance to split starts in the NHL. However, the injury to Bachman may keep Demko in Utica for the time being.
Grade: A
Michael (Mikey) DiPietro, Windsor Spitfires/Ottawa 67’s (OHL)
Mikey may have shifted to the face of the Canucks’ future goaltending, but I wouldn’t be so quick to do that. He hasn’t done anything in a professional league yet. Because of the NHL-CHL transfer agreement, he still has to play against kids.
Looking good once again, DiPietro is near the top of the OHL in save percentage and GAA. He’s fifth in GSAA, saving an estimated 17.984 more goals than the average OHL goaltender. I always prefaced those numbers with the note that he’s doing this on a rebuilding team. He’s 12-8-1 this season.
Well, that won’t be true from this point on. The Windsor Spitfires traded Mikey to the Ottawa 67’s. They are going on a Memorial Cup run this year and I can’t wait to see how well he plays on a loaded team. Early indications look very positive so far.
It’s a shame he can’t play in the AHL until next season, but he is set up to have an incredible year between the World Juniors and the OHL. But like I said, he’s playing against children. The oldest players in the OHL are 21 years old. Everything changes once you hit the AHL. We’ve seen that with other Canucks prospects as well.
Regardless, DiPietro has done very well for himself, setting the bar incredibly high last year and doing a solid job meeting that this year.
Grade: A-
Matthew Thiessen, Dubuque Fighting Saints (USHL)
Matthew Thiessen was a very interesting pick. The final pick from the Canucks in 2018 was picked out of the Manitoba Junior Hockey League (the province’s version of the BCHL). Playing in the USHL, his season has had its ups and downs.
Starting off very strong, Dubuque hit a rough stretch for the last couple of months. The USHL is interesting since some view it as a level slightly below the CHL. What’s interesting is that Thiessen doesn’t usually face many shots per game (averages 27 against). He is 7-7-6 this season with a save percentage of .892.
Thiessen’s last two games have been very good and we will see what happens as he progresses to the NCAA. I see him as a longer term project and is a little harder to assess. I don’t know what we have in him, but he has certainly piqued my interest.
Grade: C+