Vancouver Canucks: The dilemma with Jacob Markstrom

Dilemma No. 2

June 2021 will see the birth of the NHL’s thirty-second franchise. The currently nameless Seattle team guided by general manager Ron Francis will look to emulate the early success found in Vegas. This, unfortunately, is only one season removed of the conclusion to Markstrom’s current deal.

With the tandem that the Canucks deploy right now, it could be assumed that both goaltenders will play well and potentially form a 1A/1B tandem where neither is necessarily the clear-cut number one and games are split accordingly.

Seattle would be silly not to take Demko if he is left unprotected. Thus nabbing the future in the crease from their nearest geographical rival and leaving Vancouver with a 32-year-old goaltender.

The obvious answer here would be to expose Markstrom and if he is taken, so be it. Whether it really is that simple is the ultimate question. With the upcoming potential contract negotiations, his agent could demand expansion protection for Markstrom. He loves the city, the team, and the fans. The negotiating power could very well be in Markstrom’s hands in this case. If he is protected, Demko is immediately exposed.

Dilemma No. 3

As Demko continues to grow and prove his capabilities in the NHL, Markstrom’s role will inevitably be reduced. He will go from consecutive 60-game seasons to 50 games, and so on, until Demko is the bonafide starter.

How will that impact Markstrom’s trade value? How will the salary cap situation look when you have a back up goaltender making north of $5 million per season? What if the salary winds up holding Demko back to save the optics?

When Demko is ready to take the reins, they need to be ready to be given. If Vancouver can save cap space by not spending big on keeping Markstrom, they can use that space to address greater holes in the line up or bring in key pieces for a true Stanley Cup run.