After an unforgettable playoff performance versus the Vegas Golden Knights, Thatcher Demko wants to be the Vancouver Canucks starting goaltender.
Fans of the Vancouver Canucks will never truly know if Thatcher Demko did enough in the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs to prove to management that he was ready for the starting role, or if the real reason he was promoted was that the team simply couldn’t afford to offer Jacob Markstrom more money. But actually, both situations probably played some sort of role in the final decision.
Either way, here we are, the Canucks back-to-back MVP is gone, and the 24-year-old netminder has an opportunity to get more starts. All he has to do is beat out Braden Holtby in training camp. But being that Holtby is a Stanley Cup champion and former Vezina Trophy winner who still has some game left to give, it’ll be easier said than done.
Talking with Iain MacIntyre of Sportnet, Demko had this to say…
"“I think there’s a lot on the table and I’m just really excited to get the opportunity to take that next step. I want to be in Vancouver as long as I can. I want to be the guy. This is the next step in that direction.”"
Demko was quick to add that he feels very confident going into the next season of his NHL hockey career. He’s exactly where he wants to be in his career right now, and who wouldn’t be feeling that way after having played three insanely incredible playoff games so well that it literally forced management to change the team’s direction.
Think about it. All season long Jim Benning was adamant about making sure that Markstrom was the team’s number one priority in free agency. At the end of the day, regardless of if the money was there or not, Benning’s thoughts on the entire situation changed when the entire hockey world witnessed what Demko was capable of. He went from being Vancouver’s “goalie of the future” to the Canucks “go-to goalie of the here and now”.
Instead of flying back to San Diego to enjoy the offseason, Demko opted to stick in Vancouver with a few of his foreign teammates in hopes of getting some good practices in and being as prepared as possible for the 2021 campaign.
Demko has been skating with Elias Pettersson from time to time. In fact, a few current Canucks as well as former players, recently all caught a helicopter and played pond hockey somewhere in B.C.’s beautiful mountain ranges, and Demko was a part of that. If you haven’t seen it already, check it out!
Obviously, Demko’s God-like playoff numbers can’t last forever. But if he can take his 0.905 save percentage of last season and meet somewhere in the middle with his playoffs 0.985 SV%, then he should turn out to be a solid starting goaltender for Vancouver.
What do you think Canucks Nation? Demko wants to be the starter for the Canucks, but is he ready? Let us know your thoughts and ideas in the comment section below.